The Gophers have a recent history of losing their best in-state recruits to outside schools. Prospects like Cole Aldrich (Kansas), Tyus Jones (Duke) and Jon Leur (Wisconsin) all led their schools to the Final Four (Aldrich and Jones won NCAA championships), Gopher fans began pleading for the coaching staff and administration to start keep Minnesota's high school stars in state.
In 2009, fans got their wish.
Royce White, the Hopkins star that led the Royals to a perfect 31-0 season, was Mr. Basketball that season and committed to join the Gophers. The 6'8" White was ranked the 19th best player in the class fo 2009 on the Rivals.com board and was all set to join Hopkins hero Blake Hoffarber in maroon and gold the next season.
This Blake Hoffarber shot, which won an Espy, may
be an all-time ache for Eastview High School
Gopher basketball had a couple down years prior to White's arrival. After Clem Haskins' resignation following the academic fraud scandal that vacated the Gopher's Final Four run in 1997, U of M Athletic Director Joel Maturi hired Dan Munson away from Gonzaga to replace Haskins.
Monson coached the Gophers for part of eight roller coaster seasons. He finished with a respectable 118-106 overall record, but the Gophers struggled in Big 10 play with a 44-68 record. Monson resigned seven games into the 2006-07 season and interim coach Jim Molinari finished the season 7-17. Monson led the Gophers to one NCAA Tournament. Despite Monson's inability to conistantly put a winning product on the court, he was heralded for his ability to bring integrity and cleanliness back to the program that was still in the shadow of the Haskins scandal.
The next season, Maturi replaced Molinari with a big name hire: former Kentucy coach Tubby Smith, who had a National Championship on his resume. Tubby recruited Royce White, and the tide seemed to be turning.
Stay tuned for the Tubby Smith ache article
But that tide turned into a tsunami that engulfed the U of M campus. Before ever taking the court for the Gophers, White was suspended after an incident at the Mall of America and later pleaded guilty to fifth degree theft and disorderly conduct. Later that academic year, White was charged with trespassing in connection to an alleged theft of a laptop from a dorm room. He left the team in February, never appearing in a game for the Gophers.
Tubby won 20+ games in five of his six seasons in Minnesota, but didn't see any Big Ten or NCAA Tournament success. He was fired after another first round NCAA exit following the 2012-13 season and would have undoubtedly benefited from Royce White being on the court.
White, on the other hand, transferred to Iowa State. According to the Star Tribune, White asked Tubby if he could stay on the team, but concerns about White's behavioral challenges and social circle raised too many red flags. So Iowa State and coach Fred Hoiberg got a former Top-20 prospect.
Due to NCAA transfer regulations, White was ineligible to play the 2010-11 season, so after two years away from a regular season game, he suited up for the Cyclones on November 12th and posted a double-double against Lehigh with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Three weeks later against Big Ten powerhouse #15 Michigan State, White recorded another double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds as well as 4 steals. After leading Iowa State to the NCAA tournament, the post-season awards came rolling in including the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and was First team All-Big 12. White was also the only player in the country to lead his team in the five major statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
White declared for the 2012 NBA Draft in March and was selected 16th overall by the Houston Rockets in the NBA Draft.