GoMocs.com continues its weekly look into the Chattanooga Mocs basketball newcomers this week with freshman guard Ronrico White. Ronrico comes to Chattanooga from Knoxville, Tenn., and Bearden High School.
If there was a person born to play basketball, it may be Ronrico White. A good athlete, he would probably be just as talented in any athletic endeavor, but basketball certainly runs in his blood.
White is the son of former Tennessee All-American guard Tony White. He is also the brother of Tony White, Jr., a former guard at College of Charleston. The younger White was a starter on the 2009 Cougars squad that fell in the Southern Conference Championship game to the Mocs.
Ronrico is a winner plain and simple. His prep career bears that out as Bearden High School was an astonishing 132-12 during his four-year career. That's winning nearly 92 percent of his games.
That mark gets even better over his final two seasons when he was a team leader. The Bulldogs won 93.2 percent of their games with 68 victories against a mere five losses. White led Bearden to the TSSAA Class AAA semifinals in 2010 and the championship game in 2011.
"Rico is a winner," said head coach John Shulman. "He comes to Chattanooga from a remarkable winning career at Bearden. He's just a winner...knows how to win, he is used to winning. He's been well-coached playing for one of the best high school coaches around in Mark Blevins.
"I think similar to his brother, Tony, he was under-recruited coming out of high school," Shulman noted. "Tony, Jr., was a great player at Charleston, really one of the best guards to play there, and in this league, to tell you the truth.
"Tony White, Sr., is one of the best players in the history of Tennessee basketball," Shulman said. "Getting to know him, he's as nice a man as he was a player. It's another fantastic family added to our team."
White is different than his father and brother and the way they played the game. Ronrico is longer and more of a slashing guard, than the scoring point guard his father and brother were.
"Rico can shoot the three, can slash, can put it on the floor, can play the point if need be," Shulman added. "Just a really good versatile guard, who gives us the ability to put that ball on the floor, gets to the basket and makes plays."
Shulman continued, "Very unselfish player, maybe too unselfish at times. In high school, I think he had 27 in the semis after having seven or eight in the quarters because he didn't need to score. So he's just a team guy and last time I checked, you need that on this level."
His honors are vast. Ronrico was first team All-KIL, All-District and All-Region as a senior, second team All-District and All-Region as a junior while earning MVP honors of the region tournament and Island Jam Paradise Tourney (Puerto Rico) as a senior and the Land-Air Classic as a junior. He was named to the All-State Tourney team as a junior and senior averaging 17.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in the Bulldogs' five tournament games including a 27-point, six-rebound effort in semifinal win over Siegal in 2011.
"I don't know if I've ever seen Rico without a smile on his face," Shulman concluded. "He's just a very positive person to be around. I really like what I believe he brings to this team."
GoMocs.con Exclusive Look at Chattanooga Basketball's Newcomers
July 25 - Brown's Ceiling Is Sky High
August 1 - Bryant Evokes Memories of Mocs Most Prolific Rebounder
August 8 - Stokes Strong On and Off the Court
August 22 - White Continues Family Tradition on the Court
August 29 - Z. Mason
