UTC’s Ronrico White (11) prepares to defend the Mocs side of the court against Alec Rattanaxay (12) during a UTC win against Montreat College at McKenzie Arena in this Dec 8, 2014, file photo.Ronrico White arrived on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus in the fall of 2011 as a natural shooting guard who was undecided on his academic plans.
Seven semesters later, he’s a senior guard who switches between both guard positions and now has that academic part nailed down.
White was one of 15 UTC athletes who graduated Saturday. He walked with a degree in Integrated Studies and will begin pursuit of a master’s degree when school resumes in January. He described the commencement ceremony as “unexplainable” and “breathtaking.”
“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders,” White said Monday. “Getting an education is why you come to school first and foremost, and having the privilege to play basketball on the side is tremendous in itself.
“It’s something they can never take away from me, and I’m excited about that.”
It wasn’t the easiest of processes. Basketball season is one of the most taxing on college athletes, as the first part of the season is November and December, which are two of the more strenuous months for classes, with exams and finals. The second semester involves the most important part of the season for teams, who are in conference play.
Conference games in the Southern Conference are played on Thursdays and Saturday, which only take away one day of classes, but a lot of time is spent on buses at nights, as well as having to get up early the next morning for class.
“It’s very tough,” White said. “You play in big games, and then you have to go to class but also focus on the games. You realize after a while that you can see the end when it comes to your degree, so it’ll be well worth it, so I focused on the books.
“For a lot of people, basketball is a release from school life, so it’s pretty good to have that.”
White’s release has been a pretty good one, especially as of late. The 6-foot-3 lefty is 14-for-31 from 3-point range in his last six games, averaging 11.3 points and 2.8 assists per game for the Mocs, who are 5-5 headed into tonight’s home game against Northern Kentucky. His career has been spent bouncing between the point guard and shooting guard slots, but he seems to have settled into a starting role at the 2 position while still serving as the backup point guard.
The Mocs have shot 53 percent from the field in their past two games, and 51 percent from 3-point range.
“Rico has been shooting it better,” UTC coach Will Wade said. “He’s been freed up, and his assist-to-turnover ratio has been a lot better. He doesn’t get bottled up as much, and it gives him more freedom.
“I know he prefers to play at the 2, so it’s been good for us.”
Tonight will be a reunion of sorts. Jared Bryant, who played for the Mocs from 2011 to 2013, is a junior forward for the Norse. He’s played in four games so far, averaging 1.8 points and 2.5 rebounds, and tonight will be his return to the program that initially signed him.
“I talk to him some, but as with most of my college friends, he’s busy with his sports and I’m busy with mine, so it’s tough to keep up with everyone,” White said.
“I’ll see him tomorrow and I’ll acknowledge him, but we’ve got to get a win.”
In three and a half years, White already has picked up what could be considered the biggest win of his college life. And it was off the court Saturday afternoon.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.