Former Tar Heel Coby White lights up the NBA in March

Former Tar Heel Coby White lights up the NBA in March

Former North Carolina men’s basketball star Coby White is shining bright in the NBA.

The 6-foot-5 guard is in his sixth season of professional basketball after a one-and-done career in Chapel Hill. Many considered him a snub for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award following the 2023-24 season, in which he averaged 19.1 PPG. He may have missed out on that accolade, but White has responded with emphasis this season, especially in the month of March.

After putting together a respectable first half of the NBA season, White has caught absolute fire in the recent weeks. He currently holds a streak of 14 consecutive games with 20+ points, dating back to Feb. 28. Highlighted by outbursts of 44, 35, 36 and 37, White has steered the Chicago Bulls back into the playoff conversation, winning nine of their last 11. They are currently the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference, sitting at 33-40.

White took home back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards for the week of Mar. 17 and Mar. 24, and he could very well be in the running for the upcoming week as well.

Looking at the entire month of March, White is averaging 29.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 4.1 APG. It’s fair to say that the Goldsboro, NC native is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and national media is taking notice. Here is a segment on ESPN’s NBA Today where they discuss White’s latest performance, a win over the Los Angeles Lakers:

Drafted as the 7th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, White has flown under the radar for the majority of his career. Averaging under 10 PPG in his fourth season, the former Tar Heel was left with an uphill climb. He has been integral in the Bulls late success and is finally receiving some of the national attention he so well deserves.

Keep it up, Coby!