The weight room at Southern Methodist University’s Moody Coliseum doesn’t care

about recruiting rankings. Neither does a 7-foot-2-inch center chasing you full speed around a screen.

That was Billy White III’s reality last fall. A consensus top 50 prospect, still 17-year-old,

White learned quickly that the game he’d dominated his entire life looked very different from the college sideline.

“Practices were rough,” White said. “These dudes are 6-foot-8, 225 [pounds], and we had Samet. He was 7-foot-2. It’s an adjustment for sure.”

White, a 6-foot-8-inch forward from Corpus Christi, reclassified to join the SMU Mustangs a

year early, forgoing his senior season of high school to accelerate his development. With the program starting four seniors, one of the program’s most experienced rosters in recent memory, White and the coaching staff decided to redshirt, preserving eligibility while investing in growth.

The results were tangible. White added 20 pounds over the course of the year and said watching his own high school film now reveals just how much has changed.

“I go back and watch, and I’m like, man, I’m not even defending,” he said. “In high school, if a

guy was stronger than me, I’d just rise up and shoot. You can’t do that here. It’s a contested shot.

You have to get to your spot and stay on your line.”

But those closest to the program say the physical transformation only tells part of the story.

Student manager Matt Goldner, who has worked with players ranging from five-star recruits to

NBA All-Star Anthony Davis said White stands apart even among elite competition.

“His work ethic is unparalleled with any professional or nonprofessional basketball player I’ve

worked with,” Goldner said. “His habits, professionalism and faith separate him from many

others. There’s not a kid who works harder than Billy White.”

Zach Hampton, a former high school teammate of White’s, echoed that sentiment.

“I can’t remember a time he wasn’t at the court on a day off,” Hampton said. “He’s the definition

of a role model.”

For White, that drive is rooted in something deeper than basketball. He begins every morning in

scripture and said his faith anchored him through the quieter stretch of a redshirt year, one that

required leaving his family early and watching from the bench while his team played.

“Basketball is what I do, not who I am,” White said. “On the good days and bad days, God

remains the same. That’s what keeps me grounded.”

His favorite verse, Proverbs 16:3, reads: “Commit to the Lord in whatever you do, and He will

establish your plans.” It took on new meaning this season.

Now, with a stronger body, sharper instincts and a full offseason ahead, White has a

straightforward goal for next year: contribute, compete and help build something at SMU. He is

part of a recruiting class that ranked as high as fourth in the country and said he believes the

group is capable of something special.

“I want to come in and start, be a key piece,” White said. “But I know I’m gonna have to go earn it.”

A year in the shadows. Now it’s his turn.