6-foot-5 Aussie point to Fresno State

"William McDowell-White commits to Fresno State" -- Evan Daniels/Scout

His 6-foot brother, in a height role reversal, is a shooting guard and also headed to Raisinville.

Jonathan Givony/Draft Express 
February 2016

McDowell-White had an up and down week in Portland, culminating in a somewhat disappointing in the game, scoring just 5 points with 2 assists and 6 turnovers on 2-8 shooting from the field in 25 minutes.

He proved to be a willing distributor in practices, moving the ball utilizing his excellent size and strong court vision. He had a difficult time with the speed and length of the US guards, though, particularly when pressed or trapped, being forced to turn his back to his opponent frequently to avoid having the ball ripped away. While he shows potential as a passer, McDowell-White is still learning the nuances of the point guard position (which he readily himself admits), and he looked overwhelmed at times with the level of competition he faced in the game.

As a shooter, he showed some glimpses of being able to develop into a reliable perimeter threat, especially with his feet set from the corners, but is still fairly inconsistent overall. His mechanics aren't the most conventional you'll find, and he's streaky shooting off the dribble.

Defensively, McDowell-White is willing and active, showing quick hands and instincts getting in the passing lanes. Still, his average 6'5 wingspan mitigates some of the advantage he has as a bigger guard.

At an early stage of his development, McDowell-White is still figuring out how to put all his tools together and become a more consistent player on both ends of the floor. His focus and confidence seemed to waver at times throughout the week, as he didn't always looked as locked in as you might hope, but considering he's yet to turn 18, that's probably not all that surprising.

Strengths: 
-Great size for a PG. Very strong frame that continues to fill out. 

-Excellent pick and roll player. Strong ball-handler who uses changes of speeds and directions. Finds teammates off the dribble with bounce passes, lobs and kick-outs. Extremely creative with the way he distributes the ball

-Will make an occasional catch and shoot jumper

-Has the size to defend either guard position 

Weaknesses: 
-Lacks a degree of aggressiveness at times. Doesn't always look comfortable improvising. Needs structure and guidance. 

-Somewhat introverted. Doesn't have much of a court presence in terms of leadership skills. 

-Jump-shot is still a work in progress. Has some side-spin action and a bit of a hitch in his release at times. 

-Needs to improve off-hand. 

Outlook: Top-shelf college prospect. Seems to be making significant strides with his basketball IQ and skill-level. Started off slow but was extremely impressive in the last two days of the camp. Size and passing ability gives him a chance to emerge as an interesting prospect down the road.