Kelvin Sampson calls Tre White a 'difference-maker' for Kansas in March

No. 14 Kansas picked up a massive win against No. 5 Houston on Monday night. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson came out of the game very impressed by Jayhawks guard Tre White.

White has been a key piece for Kansas this year, starting in all 28 games. He’s averaging 14 points per game with 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists, playing 32.6 minutes per night.

After the game, Sampson heaped praise on the Kansas star. That’s who he expects to be a difference maker in March for the NCAA Tournament.

“The kid that really played well for you guys that I think is a difference maker as you get to the NCAA Tournament is (Tre) White,” Sampson said. “His ability with his size, I mean, he shot it well. You guys were 18-20 from the free throw line. He was three for four; he made some big threes.”

White is in his fourth season of college basketball, but his first at Kansas. He started his career at USC in the 2022-2023 season and had stops at Louisville and Illinois in the next two years.

White, Kansas entering pivotal three-game stretch to end regular season

The win was a big one for Kansas. The Jayhawks moved to 21-7 overall on the season, but more importantly, 11-4 in Big 12 play. That ties them with Houston at 1.5 games back of Arizona, who leads the conference with a 12-2 league record.

The Jayhawks also entered the game having lost two out of their last three games. The win got them back on track at the perfect time, with a pivotal three-game stretch coming up to conclude the regular season.

Kansas will be on the road on Saturday, facing Arizona. The game has massive implications in the overall rankings, Big 12 standings and NCAA Tournament picture. They’ll finish the regular season at Arizona State and then back home against Kansas State.

Hopefully, White will be a big part of where Kansas is going. His 14 points per game sit third on the team, behind Darryn Peterson (19.5) and Flory Bidunga (14.3). He’s second on the team with his 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

In On3’s latest Bracketology, Kansas was a projected 4-seed. The Jayhawks were ranked as the No. 10 overall seed and a 3-seed on Saturday when the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee revealed its current top 16 at the time.