The class of 2015 knows him as the Stormin’ Mormon, but for other students at UNC he’s just a new face on the team. After taking two years off to fulfill his Mormon mission, this fall Stilman White returned to the men’s basketball team fully determined to get back into the game. Even though he’s had a few setbacks this season, he still hasn’t lost that determination. Read on to learn more about this week’s Campus Celebrity!
Carolina Athletics
HC: You’re known on campus as the “Stormin’ Mormon.” Do you have any other nicknames?
SW: Everyone calls me “StilWata” on the team. I like to think I have a good shot like water. On the team, we call each other a bunch of other stupid things, but I’ll keep that in the locker room.
HC: How has this year been as far as transitioning back into college life and playing basketball for UNC again?
SW: It’s been hard – a lot harder than I ever imagined. First off, not playing basketball for two years, I was rustier than I expected to be, and I expected to be rusty. And that’s still a process for me right now trying to get all my skills back and get back into shape. College-wise, my mission helped me with that. Being in my mission, I had to study scripture and I had to be very disciplined with managing my time. And that was the thing I was horrible with as a freshman. So, now I’m more disciplined with my work.
HC: So, I noticed the past couple of games you’ve been wearing a suit. Can you tell me how you got injured?
SW: I got a stress fracture in my foot. It was just something over time. My foot was sore for a while and I kept complaining about it and then, after a while, it wasn’t getting better so they checked it and found a crack in the bone about two weeks ago.
HC: How is your recovery going and when can we expect to see you back in uniform?
SW: It’s going well. Bones are the type of thing that just take time to heal. I’ve been going a little crazy not being able to play, especially during games.
HC: Yeah, there’s a lot of guys on the team that are hurt. Are you all leaning on each for support?
SW: Yeah, we call ourselves the suit-and-boot gang.
HC: If you weren’t playing basketball, what would you be doing?
SW: I’d like to be a pro-wakeboarder. I grew up on the beach so I like to be out on the water.
HC: What are your hopes and goals for next season?
SW: To get better, to improve my game and just make more of an impact on the team than I have this year.
HC: What do you plan to do after college?
SW: Well, if I’m good enough to play basketball [afterward], I’d like to do that. You know, why not? I’d like to play basketball as long as they’d let me.
The Daily Tar Heel
HC: What’s your favorite pickup line?
SW: I always go with “what cooking good looking?” You know, you can’t make them think you thought about it too much, you just gotta let it roll off your tongue.
HC: What song gets you pumped before going out on the court?
SW: Right now, that Nicki Minja and Beyonce song “Feeling Myself.”
HC: What teammate do you hang out with the most outside of practice?
SW: Desmond Hubert, he’s my roommate. Me, him and Marcus we got this little video game team going. We play online pretty much every night now. I mean that’s pretty embarrassing we don’t really hang out, we just hang out in the virtual world.
HC: What’s your favorite place to grab a bite on campus?
SW: You can always catch me at Sutton’s, especially at breakfast time.
HC: Who inspires you the most?
SW: Coming off my mission now it’s Jesus Christ for sure. That’s something I wouldn’t have said before. Just getting to study his life for two whole years and devoting myself to that. I can’t even come close to living up to that, but I try.
HC: What’s your life motto?
SW: Go big or go home. That’s what I always say.