YEARS:
2002–2005
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year (2002)
Three-time All-Heartland Conference (2003, 2004, 2005)
All-time St. Mary’s steals leader
Two-time Heartland Conference champion (2003, 2005)
Advanced to three NCAA regionals (2003, 2004, 2005)
CAREER STATS:
1,261 points
679 rebounds
276 assists
218 steals
89 blocks
47.0 field-goal percentage
BIO:
Few on the basketball court were as versatile as BILLY DELL WHITE JR. A selfless, stat-stuffing machine on the hardwood, White is the exclusive member of the Rattlers’ 1,200-600-200-200 club. That is, 1,261 career points, 679 career rebounds, 276 career assists and 218 career steals. White could score, rebound, defend and shoot with the best. He ranks as the Rattlers’ all-time steals leader, and graduated as the program’s all-time blocks leader with 89 blocks. He ranks eighth all-time in rebounding, and his versatility stretched beyond the 3-point line, where he made 157 career 3s — second-best in school history. White led the Rattlers to three NCAA regional appearances during his four years in the gold and blue, and claimed two Heartland Conference championships, winning 61 percent of his games played (70-45 career record) along the way. He was the 2002 Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year, and went on to earn three All-Heartland Conference selections, including once to the First Team. His 115 career games played ranks No. 7 in school history.
POST-GRADUATION:
White is the head boys basketball and cross country coach at Copperas Cove High School. White inherited a program that hadn’t had a winning season in more than eight years, and turned it around with winning seasons each of the next six years, including making the playoffs three times. White has coached many notable players during his career, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III; Josh Boyce, who won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots; and Rashard Odomes, a basketball player at the University of Oklahoma.
QUOTE:
“I was made aware of the rich tradition at St. Mary’s upon arriving on campus the summer before my freshman year. I set a goal that summer to try to help continue that tradition and to add my name to the list as one of the top players to ever play in a program that had so many great players. Getting inducted into the Hall of Fame is very special to me, and it means the goal of that 18-year-old kid has been achieved.”
