NBLC9 Greatest Hits: Billy White
The MVP field this NBL Canada season was a tough one, with plenty of players putting in first-rate basketball shows from beginning to end.
It would be Moncton Magic power forward Billy White, in his fourth year in the league but first with the Magic, who would stand above all else as the recipient of the 2019-20 Most Valuable Player award.
He may not have been the highest scorer or recorded the best defensive numbers, but his solid end of season numbers of 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks (The league's fifth-highest average) per game, coupled with his unequalled work ethic on the court and orchestration of plenty of Moncton victories have made him a memorable presence in the season.
There were three particular performances which make the case that White was the stand-out performer:
December 27th vs St. John's Edge
After an inauspicious pre-season, White began the season proper with three twenty-point games, two of them he finished with double-doubles. It was on the second game of the season, a rematch of the St. John's Edge, where he impressed most.
The Edge outscored Moncton in both the field and from beyond the arc and had four of their starting five finish in double digits. Though his team trailed 61-45 at half time, White took point for his team on both ends of the court to help them overcome the heavy deficit. He would later make the deciding play in overtime that ensured victory by an eventual final score of 114-106.
White himself finished with 26 points and 10 total rebounds in this one, a big indicator of the great things still to come for him in the rest of the season.
January 24th at Island Storm
The Magic's late-January visit to the Eastlink Centre resulted in a game that was tense and tight throughout. The Island Storm proved hard for the defending champions to shake off, with Johnathan Loyd, Robbie Robinson and Lewis Diankulu getting everything done for them both offensively and on the defensive end.
Billy White, along with his supporting cast of Corey Allmond and Marcus Lewis, pulled out all the stops to keep the Storm at bay. The power forward outplayed everyone on offence, finishing with a game-high 28 points. He would go on to give the Magic a late lead, which was hammered home by Desmond Lee and Jason Calliste to see out the win 115 points to 113.
February 23rd vs Halifax Hurricanes
This, of course, was one of the most talked-about and remarkable games of the entire NBL Canada season. News of White's exploits in the Magic's 136-104 win over Halifax reverberated across the country and carved a place for him in the NBLC history books.
There was no let up from the man from Las Vegas after he began the game with seventeen points. Continuing his unprecedented form for the remainder of the game, his domination of offence and high-percentage play resulted in 52 points, the fourth-highest individual total ever seen in the league. An extraordinary show that will not soon be forgotten.
