By MATT WHITFIELD
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Michai White of St. Benedict’s Prep was the lone Tri-State area representative this past weekend at USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team Training Camp.
The 6-foot-1 point guard impressed with his scrappy demeanor and good vision on the hardwood. He also discussed his offer from Louisville and breaking Dajuan Wagner’s New Jersey single-season freshman point record.
“I think it’s going great. It’s a great learning experience,” White told ZAGSBLOG of the camp. “I get to learn new things and play against the top talent in the country so it’s a great experience.”
White chose St. Benedict’s Prep over numerous other area prep powers, in part because of how they use their freshmen.
“[Former] Coach [Mark] Taylor, he’s a great coach,” White said. “He’s a point guard coach. He plays freshman. So that really attracted me to him. He lets his freshman play. A lot of coaches don’t let freshman play like that and have the ball and have the ability to make mistakes. So, he let me play and learn through bumps. And Benedict’s is a powerhouse, we’ve had Isaiah Briscoe, Noah Farrakhan , [Tyler Ennis,] so many great guards too come through.”
Staying active 🥷 @moneymichai
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) May 23, 2025
📍 🇺🇸 #USABMU16 training camp pic.twitter.com/uLHWVGg6vA
St. Benedict’s Prep made it all the way to the New Jersey Non-Public A state quarterfinals last season before losing to Hudson Catholic. White did surpass a major milestone however as he scored 763 points in his freshman season, which eclipsed Dajuan Wagner’s record.
“It was crazy honestly,” he said. “I passed a goal I set for myself. I ain’t even expect to hit it honestly. But when I got there and I heard I was about to hit, I was like I might as well go for it.”
Despite being only a freshman, White has received interest and/or offers from Louisville, Northwestern, Rider, Hampton, Mississippi State, and Virginia Tech. And one school already stands out to White.
“It’s crazy [Louisville] was my first ever high major offer, so it was a dream come true. Louisville was one of my dream schools, so it was great.”
White talks often to Louisville assistant coach Ronnie Hamilton, and he grew up a fan of the Cardinals as well as two other blue bloods.
“I’ve always been a Louisville, Duke, Kentucky fan,” he said.
White, who has ample time to sharpen his basketball skills, wants to work on a few things this summer.
“My shooting and my athleticism,” he said. “Just making sure I’m a lock down shooter.”
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