North Dakota State Transfer Jacari White Commits to UVA Basketball
Ryan Odom and the Virginia Cavaliers secured another transfer commitment on Sunday afternoon (April 6), marking the second consecutive day of roster additions. Jacari White, a guard from North Dakota State, announced his commitment to UVA just one day after Toledo transfer guard Sam Lewis pledged to the program. White, who has one year of eligibility left, brings valuable experience to the Cavaliers.
Standing 6’3″ and weighing 180 pounds, White is a career 40% three-point shooter and has played 94 games over the past three seasons at North Dakota State, including 61 starts. Prior to joining the Bison, he spent a year at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota in Bradenton, Florida. White made his Division I debut at North Dakota State in 2022-2023, playing in 31 games with 10 starts, averaging 7.5 points per game.
In the 2023-2024 season, White became a regular starter, starting 22 of 32 games. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting an impressive 45.5% from beyond the arc. White also earned a spot on the Summit League All-Defensive Team. This past season, he had a breakout year, averaging 17.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He shot 45.2% from the field and 39.8% from three on over seven attempts per game, earning a Second-Team All-Summit League selection.
White’s scoring ability was on full display this season, as he scored double figures in all but eight games, including 14 games with 20 or more points. Notably, he scored 27 points in a road win against Butler, where he hit seven of nine three-pointers and finished 10-for-14 from the field, along with seven rebounds in 36 minutes of play.
An interesting twist in White’s recruitment is that, just days before committing, he had narrowed his list of schools to five finalists, excluding Virginia. The list included Houston, Virginia Tech, Texas, Ole Miss, and West Virginia. Despite this, White chose UVA without having visited Charlottesville, likely surprising many given the timing of his decision during the recruiting dead period.
This trend of landing sharpshooters continues for Odom and the Cavaliers, as both Sam Lewis and Jacari White are career 40% three-point shooters. Lewis shot 44.4% from deep this past season, while White was just under 40% on high-volume attempts. With the departure of standout shooter Isaac McKneely to Louisville, adding two reliable shooters like Lewis and White is a strong start for Odom in rebuilding the UVA roster for the 2025-2026 season.
With these two commitments, Virginia now has five projected scholarship players for the upcoming season. Lewis and White join returning guard Elijah Gertrude and incoming freshmen Chance Mallory and Silas Barksdale. Expect Odom and the Cavaliers to remain active in the transfer portal in the coming weeks.
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