LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) – Ishan White, a former New Mexico State men’s basketball player, died Saturday, the school said.
Details of White’s death were not immediately available Saturday night.
Transferring from a junior college, White spent the summer and early fall of 2021 with the New Mexico State program, but never played a game for the Aggies. The Las Cruces Sun-News reported that White was “medically disqualified” from playing for NMSU, however, head coach Chris Jans did not elaborate on his status at the time.
“Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a student-athlete and we are all devastated to learn of Ishan’s passing,” Jans said in a statement released by the university on Saturday evening. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Ishan’s family and friends. We join them in mourning the loss of this young man.
NMSU players and coaches only learned of White’s passing after finishing their game Saturday at Utah Valley, a 72-68 loss. Jans and his team spent most of the two hours after the game alerting the players and then crying with them.
A native of St. Stephen, SC, White was a 3-star prospect out of high school who received an offer from Oklahoma State, before choosing the college route, and eventually New State. Mexico. Although he never played a game for NMSU, the impact he made was felt by the men’s basketball program on Saturday.
White was only 21 at the time of his death.
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