Royce White deserves a shot at Iowa State

Royce White's career at Minnesota wasn't much of a career.

He was suspended before the season even started, stemming from a shoplifting charge he received at the Mall of America and accusations he stole a laptop from a dorm room on campus. This led to arguably the most compelling soap opera of the 2009-2010 season, as White announced -- via youtube -- that he would be leaving Minnesota and "retiring" from basketball. He would attempt a return to practice before eventually telling reporters in February that he, once again, would be retiring.

White's one season at Minnesota didn't go well.
(photo credit: Minnesota)

So yeah, things didn't really go as the former five-star recruit had planned during his first year in college. Hopefully, his second season will pan out a little bit better, as White has signed with Iowa State. New Cyclone head coach Fred Hoiberg is hoping White can turn his life around:

"I am aware of Royce's situation at Minnesota," Hoiberg said via the school's release. "I have talked with a lot of people who are close to him, spoken with Royce in person multiple times and feel he is sincerely committed to meeting the expectations we have for our players. On one of his campus visits, Royce also met with institutional staff both inside and outside of the athletics department and he left very positive impressions on everyone."

This is a big get for Hoiberg, who got the job at Iowa State without any previous head coaching experience. While White may be troubled, the kid deserves a second chance. We all make dumb decisions when we are kids -- remember, White was just a freshman, maybe the Minnesota incident was a wake-up call for him.

Say Hoiberg is able to get through to White. Say he is able to get the young man to focus on basketball and his studies. This is a 6'8" power forward that we are talking about. This is a kid that was a five-star recruit, that could play at just about any school in the country. This is a kid that, despite the issues, was reportedly heavily pursued by Kentucky during the past few months. (White says in this interview that John Calipari offered him a scholarship.)

Its a risky move for Hoiberg, but it is a risk that is worth taking, not only because the new head coach could land the centerpiece for his team, but because White should get a second chance at making.

It may not be that simple, however. White left Minnesota during the middle of the second semester, which is not an ideal way to get yourself academically eligible. He's filed a waiver request with the NCAA, but there is a chance he may not be eligible by the second semester.

Regardless, White would do well to take advantage of this opportunity. Everyone deserves a second chance. Third chances? Not so much.