Wildwood Catholic’s White named Big 5 Rookie of the Year

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

A Wildwood Catholic High School graduate has joined a rather prestigious list of Philadelphia area basketball royalty.

Jahlil White, who recently finished his redshirt freshman season for the Temple University men’s basketball team, has been named the Dave Zinkoff Award winner, given to the Big 5’s Rookie of the Year.

White joins such well known past or current NBA players in Aaron McKie, Tim Thomas, Jameer Nelson, Kyle Lowry, Ryan Arcidiacono, Jalen Brunson, Donte DeVincenzo and Saddiq Bey, among others, as winners of the organization’s Rookie of the Year award. 

A 6-7 guard/forward, White averaged 7.5 points and a team-best 6.0 for Temple this season.

One of three Owls to play in all 29 games during the 2021-22 season, White also led Temple in total steals with 33 while ranking second in field-goal percentage (.427). He posted two double-doubles and recorded double figures in rebounds four times.

White started each of the Owls’ final 16 games.

White helped Temple finish 17-12 in the recently completed season

White is one of six Temple players to be named the Big 5 Rookie of the Year, which was first awarded in 1989. He joins McKie, currently the Temple head coach, and five others from Temple to earn the honor.

White, who was a medical redshirt at Temple last season due to a knee injury, is a 2020 graduate of Wildwood Catholic. A career 1,000-point scorer, White averaged 16.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game in helping the Crusaders win their third straight Cape-Atlantic League Tournament championship and the program’s first South Jersey title since 2007 as a senior.

White is the second Cape May County native to earn Big 5 postseason honors. Jordan Hall, a North Wildwood native who played his freshman high school season at Middle Township, was named a first team Big 5 selection following his sophomore season at St. Joseph’s University.