Prospect Update: Jesse White (2020 Barlow HS)
There may be no bigger critic of his own game in the state than Jesse White. Truth is, the shifty 5-foot-11, 170-pound guard from Barlow High School has very high expectations of himself. So despite recently dominating the PrepHoops Top 250 Expo and putting together some solid performances at the Prime Time Top 40 Showcase, White is still aiming for improvement with all aspects of his body and game.
White’s most recent performance was at the PT40 where he did what he usually does – knock down outside shots in bunches. However when asked about the experience, White self-proclaimed his play as “horrible” and went on to say that he went out and shot about 400 shots afterwards to make up for things. His self-evaluation is always about doing the best that he can – and that’s how he assessed his entire off-season.
“I think the whole time it was streaky for me the whole spring and summer – my performance was not how I wanted it to be throughout,” White said. “After this season my dad and I got to talking and we said we can’t afford to have another off-season like that again, especially on the AAU circuit. So I’ve got to keep on working, hoping for a good school season, and then dominate on the circuit next year.”
One thing White really focused on was getting more athletic. His progress in that regard is something he’s been pretty satisifed with. “I’ve been working on my balance a lot,” White said. “I’ve been working with a trainer twice a week and it’s paid off. I’ve added about three inches to my vertical and we’re hoping to continue that and get that even higher.”
On the recruiting front, Portland State and UC San Diego continue to touch base with White. He’s hoping for more attention and feels that his junior year will give him the opportunity to get things going. “I’m just hoping for a good school season and my recruiting goes up from there,” White said. “We have pieces and we should be good and I think a top four team in the state. But we’ll see, you’ve got to play every game.”
White currently ranks as the #2 ranked player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2020 rankings.