It's been a while since Royce White has been in the spotlight. Last we saw him, he was playing in the NBA D-League for the Reno Bighorns in 2014. White was at the Howard Pulley Invitational, so we caught up with the former NBA first-round pick (Houston Rockets). Here's part one of our interview series with Royce White.

FloHoops: What brings you to the Howard Pulley Invitational?
Royce White: Just coming in to check out family, really. Coming up through this program, when I was younger, there are a lot of relationships here. My little brother actually plays on the 15U team and at Tartan (High School). I'm here to support.

How many years did you play for Howard Pulley?
My whole high school career. From ninth grade until my junior year, when I committed (to Minnesota).

What are your impressions of this year's Howard Pulley 17U team that is undefeated?
I saw them at the beginning of the year when tryouts were happening, and they had a lot of players returning from last year, so I've been keeping up with them. This is the first time I've actually seen them play, but being undefeated in EYBL speaks for itself. I'm just impressed. Minnesota basketball has come so far and it's going so far. The things that (Howard Pulley Basketball founder/owner) Rene (Pulley) has been able to do, the work that he's put in over the years, has allowed it to get where it is.

Do you think the talent pool in Minnesota is greater now than it's ever been?
I wouldn't say that. You have to think the amount of players that are going to make it all the way to the league, or make it to the highest level of Division I basketball, is always going to be in flux. The progress that's happening (in Minnesota) is allowing other players that are good enough to get recognized. And in my era, they never would've been seen because there just wasn't enough coverage of Minnesota basketball at that time. 

I was part of one of those first waves where Minnesota basketball was like, 'Oh, they're going to have 13-14 Division I players.' But now that it's been happening that way for a consistent amount of time, and Rene's teams have been able to be consistent on the (EYBL) circuit, now there's going to be a bunch of players (who get noticed) that otherwise wouldn't have.

One player recently who has put Minnesota basketball on the map is former Howard Pulley point guard Tyus Jones, who played at Apple Valley High School and was drafted by the Timberwolves in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft out of Duke. What do you think of Jones' game?
I think players that have great IQs and are unselfish are way underrated. I think it really upset me to hear that his draft stock was in question and that he may go so low. Because you can't do more than be the point guard of the national championship team. If that doesn't speak to the type of player you are and the type of leader you are, then nothing you do on the court could. So I think he's going to do well. If he gets the opportunities he deserves to show he can lead a team, he'll do great. That will dictate it. But as far as the basketball player he is, away from what happens—whether he gets the opportunity or he doesn't—he's just one of the best basketball players to come from this state.

In part two, we speak with White on where he is with his NBA training and more—stay tuned!