UNC's White talks up Jordan at NBA Draft Combine
If nothing else, Coby White knows what it's like to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan.
White passed Jordan on North Carolina's freshman scoring list last season. He also was the first Tar Heels freshman to produce three 30-point games.
"Michael Jordan is the GOAT, the greatest to ever do it," White said Thursday at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. "To break his record means a lot. It's humbling, but it's also a blessing at the same time."
For the record, Jordan didn't hold the freshman record. That honor still belongs to Joe Forte. White ended up fifth on the list with 562 points.
White has other Bulls connections. He said he has the same agent as Kris Dunn and knows Wendell Carter Jr. from playing together in the Team CP3 AAU program, although they were on different teams. He also attended a Bulls-76ers game last season.
Several early mock drafts have the Bulls choosing the 6-foot-5 point guard with the No. 7 pick in the June 20 NBA draft.
"It would mean a lot (to play for the Bulls)," White said, "but wherever I land in this year's draft is going to be an extremely high blessing for me. I'll be happy wherever I land."
White feels he's a natural point guard, but he also has been a big-time scorer. He is North Carolina's all-time leading high school scorer with 3,573 points, breaking the record set by former Bulls second-round pick JamesOn Curry.
White averaged 16.1 points for the Tar Heels and was a high-volume 3-point shooter, connecting on 35.3 percent.
"I've been shooting it well in workouts. I've always had deep range, so I feel like (the NBA 3-point line) is not an adjustment for me at all," White said.
Reddish bullish on Carter
This was the first of two days when NBA draft prospects were available for interviews. Some of the top guys, like projected No. 1 pick Zion Williamson and Duke teammate, R.J. Barrett, did not attend.
Duke's third potential lottery pick, Cam Reddish, was there and was asked if he'd spoken to Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. about having to sacrifice some of his own game because of playing on a talented Duke squad.
"Me and Wendell are really good friends," Reddish said. "I never talked to him about that before. I never thought to. Maybe I should, but I didn't."
The 6-foot-8 Reddish averaged 13.5 points at Duke last season. He shot 33 percent from 3-point range, but has a smooth jumper that could translate well in the 3-point obsessed NBA.
"I feel like my game's more ready for the NBA than college," Reddish said. "I feel like I was more of a shooter this year. I don't really want to classify myself as a shooter. I can do a lot of different things."
Culver recognizes Butler
Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver is a physical, defensive-minded wing, so it's natural to compare him to another Texas native, former Bulls all-star Jimmy Butler.
"In a way, I can see where people get that from," Culver said. "Just being a two-way player and his body type, I can see why people think that.
"Going to the next level, being able to guard guys … it helps tremendously, just because if you can play defense, you'll probably get on the court. Your offense will come and there's a lot of talented guys that can score the ball, so to be able to play defense is a game-changer."
The 6-7 Culver averaged 18.5 points as a sophomore while helping lead Texas Tech to the national title game.
Morant living two dreams
Likely No. 2 pick Ja Morant told a nice story Thursday about his father, Tee.
"I really don't have players inspire me. I think it's just the situation with my dad," Morant said. "He had the opportunity to play professional basketball and he gave it up when my mom called and said she was pregnant with me.
"Instead of going to play basketball, he stayed and raised me. That's my motivation. Its like I'm living my dream and his dream through me right now."
Morant is expected to go to the Memphis Grizzlies with the second pick. Even though Memphis is about a three-hour drive from Morant's college home of Murray State, he said he's never been there.
"Never been to Memphis. I've never been to New York," he said. "I really haven't been a lot of places except South Carolina (his home state)."
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