[Bernini]

Gopher Hole Interview
Royce White, Junior, Hopkins High School

by Nadine Babu

GH: So, did you start school at Hopkins this week?
RW: No, I have to wait until the fourth quarter starts, which is next Monday. My first day will be April 7th.

GH: What have you been doing the past few weeks?
RW: I’ve been working out at home, lifting weights, and shooting.

GW: You look bigger now, how tall are you?
RW: I’m 6’8 and about 225 pounds.

GH: How did you decide on Hopkins?
RW: I’ve always liked Hopkins, I’ve always gone over there and worked out. My Grandpa has a longtime relationship with those guys. I think they’re really good people over there. I saw that it was a good fit for me to achieve my goals academically, and for basketball. That was the most obvious choice for me.

GH: How has your recruiting been going, has your transferring had any affect on you, or schools cooling on you? Have you been getting the same amount of interest?
RW: Yes, there’s been the same amount of interest. I got some more calls from new teams. Everyone was really busy with their seasons, now that’s the season’s over, maybe more people will start calling…or maybe not.

GH: Which new schools have showed interest in you?
RW: I’ve been talking to Texas A&M that contacted me towards the end of the season.

GH: Have you actually spoken to Coach (Ken) Novak or your future teammates at Hopkins?
RW: I haven’t really talked to Coach Novak since I went up there to enroll. I have talked to my teammates; some of them are on my Howard Pulley team. We’re all good friends, and they’re happy that I’m coming over there, it should be exciting to see how we gel together next year.

GH: Are you ready to win a state championship?
RW: I’m always ready to win a state championship (smiling).

GH: Is Minnesota still at the top of your list?
RW: Minnesota is always going to be right up there at the top.

GH: Is there any downfall to Minnesota, anything you don’t like?
RW: There’s nothing I don’t like about Minnesota. I’m a homebred Minnesota lover!

Gopherhole typically slants their interviews and steers questioning in their favor. Nevertheless, he is/was a long-shot with or without an available scholarship, IMO.