Isaac White wants the full "NBL1 experience" with Mackay

Tasmania JackJumper and NBL1 North star Isaac White made one of the biggest moves early in the NBL1 off-season, switching from the Ipswich Force to the Mackay Meteors for the 2023 NBL1 season. 

After averaging 22 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season, White came into NBL23 ready to fire – and will likely have a larger role in the JackJumpers NBL Finals run with the injury to Josh Magette. 

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White spoke with NBL Media ahead of their finals run about the move to Mackay. 

“I was just looking for an organisation that were super professional, and that’s definitely no knock on Ipswich. Just from playing Mackay and playing in Mackay against them, I can tell they are one of the best run NBL1 organisations I’ve seen,” White said.  

“The head coach Joel Khalu is head of one of the basketball programs in Queensland, so I know he’s all over it. In just having conversations with him, it matched what I was looking for, I want a full-on NBL1 experience - they practice 3-4 times a week, promos and all the rest of it.

“They’ve just been winning, I just want to play for a good team that is super organised in a really professional environment.”

WATCH THE  MACKAY METEORS HOST THE IPSWICH FORCE ON SATURDAY, JUNE 10 ON NBL1.COM.AU OR THE NBL1 APP HERE

White explained that the differing roles he has played in NBL1 compared to NBL has made his adjustment between the league’s difficult, so he plans to focus on playing in a more translatable style with Mackay. 

“It’s something I’ve been battling with, just the two different styles,” he said.

“In the NBL1, the balls in my hands a lot and I’m more of a creator, whereas in the NBL I’m more of a secondary guy, a complementary piece.

“It’s more so being able to take what I’m doing well in the NBL and continue to work on that in the NBL1. Which is getting off the ball, coming off more pin-downs and stuff like that – perfecting that role. 

White is very interested to see how the NBL1 North rosters fill out, while making a move himself, the conference has seen some major moves already – Including two of last season’s NBL1 North champions, Lamar Patterson (now South West Metro Pirates) and DJ Mitchell (now Northside Wizards) both starring on different squads for this coming season. 

“I anticipate Gold Coast (Rollers) will get their (Jason) Cadee and (Tanner) Krebs back and whoever else signed, so that will be a competitive squad,” White said.

“Ipswich now have both Galloways (Jaylin and Kyrin) and Harry Froling signed, [it’s] going to be super competitive and a bunch of NBL guys, it will be interesting to see how it shakes out.”

The NBL1 North starts on March 24, see the full fixture here.