Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Leading up to the 2008-09 ETSU women's basketball season, the ETSU media relations office, with help from graduate assistant Lindsay Christensen, will feature player profiles on all 12 of the Lady Buccaneer student-athletes. This new segment allows fans to catch a glimpse of what each player is doing off the court, as the Lady Bucs look to make a run at their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Newcomer Shannon White (Kansas City, Kan.) spent some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions with ETSU women's basketball grant team member Lindsay Christensen.

White, a 5-11 sophomore forward, transferred to ETSU from Cloud County Community College where she averaged 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds for the T-Birds. The Kansas City, Kan. native, scored double figures in eight of her 32 games played; including a season-high 20-point (10-of-16 shooting), six rebound effort versus Iowa Western.

LC:  Shannon, why did you decide to come to ETSU?

SW:  I really liked the basketball program, as well as the people here.

LC:  What is the best part of Tennessee so far?

SW:  The number one thing is I love having the opportunity to play basketball. In addition, I have great teammates, so that makes the transition a lot easier.

LC:  Tell me a little about the academic side of your life at ETSU.

SW:  Well, I'm majoring in Biology/Pharmacy. Currently, I have some tough classes; Biology, Sociology, Calculus, English II, and CSCI (a computer class).

LC: What are your plans for after graduation?

SW:  I want to be a pharmacist, which means I need to attend graduate school after I complete my undergrad degree. I hope to go to grad school in a larger city and hopefully pursue modeling (this is something I have a high interested in). I think it would be so fun to move to Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, or Chicago. 

LC:  What are some of the biggest differences between Johnson City and Kansas?

SW:  Most recently, at my previous college, I lived in a very small town that was only around two miles to get through. So, Johnson City is a lot bigger. However, Kansas City was not far from where I went to school, and I enjoyed having a big city nearby.

LC:  What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses on the court?

SW:  I feel that my strengths are rebounding and hustling, and my weakest point is ball handling. I really feel I have not shown everything yet, here at ETSU. Once I am comfortable and confident with the system, I hope to make a bigger impact.

LC:  What are some things you do in your spare time?

SW:  Sleep! I also watch Sponge Bob everyday. I like to go shopping, and I spend a lot of time on my phone. I'm a texting addict.

LC:  What is one drastic change you would make about yourself?

SW:  I would love to be a bit more photogenic!

LC:  Who has been your biggest motivator?

SW:  My Uncle, Sam Roark. He has always been a father figure to me. He has watched out for me, and always has my back. He is the reason I am still playing, and even today he still pushes me to accomplish my goals.

LC:  If you could trade lives with one teammate, who would it be, and why?

SW:  That is so hard!  I guess I would trade with Natalie (Pickwell). She has lived a completely different life than I have, so it would be a neat experience to live in her shoes.  I'm from a pretty big city, and she is from a small one, right here in Kingsport. It would be a complete change if we traded lives.

LC: What are your expectations for this year's team?

SW:  I think it would be awesome to win conference, the A-Sun Tournament, and make a trip back to the NCAA Tournament. The best part about our team is that we do not have any seniors. This way, we have the opportunity to grow, learn together, and come back next year with almost the same team.

Fans can catch Shannon and the entire Lady Buccaneer team in action on Monday, Nov. 3, when ETSU hosts University of the Cumberlands in an exhibition contest. Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside Memorial Center.

For more information on Lady Buccaneer basketball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.