USA MEN'S BASKETBALL ALUMNI NEWS
MOBILE, Ala. --- Former University of South Alabama men’s basketball players Rory White and Chey Christie advanced their professional careers with a pair of announcements in July.
White, a native of Tuskegee, was named the head coach of the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League while Christie, a Biloxi, Miss. product, signed a playing contract with the Worcester Wolves of the British Basketball League.
White played at South Alabama from 1978-82 and was a three-time all-American and a 1982 fourth-round draft pick of the Phoenix Suns. He is one of three players to have their number retired at the school and ended his career as USA’s all-time leading rebounder (737) and second-leading scorer (1,726). He currently ranks second and fourth, respectively.
He was inducted into the South Alabama Hall of Fame in 2002 and was tabbed to the Sun Belt Conference’s All-Time Team in 2006.
“This was just a perfect fit for me,” White said at a news conference announcing his hiring. “Just the experience that I've had in this building, as a coach and with the fans, it just was a strong draw for me.”
White, a resident of Fargo, served as assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers for the past six seasons. He twice was the head coach for the Idaho Stampede of the Continental Basketball Association and also guided the Fargo-Moorhead Beez of the now-defunct International Basketball Association, winning two IBA championships.
Christie earned a varsity letter in 2005-06 when he averaged 9.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, both third-best on the team. He helped the Jaguars to a 24-7 record and was named the SBC Tournament Most Valuable Player as the team earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
He played five games for Swedish team Örebro BK in the 2007-08 season, including two in the postseason. He averaged 21.3 points in the three regular season games and was named Final Four MVP after averaging 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in the semifinals.
“Chey is like a quiet assassin — very efficient offensively and able to score in a variety of ways from different positions,” Wolves head coach Chuck Evans said.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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