Gophers newcomers scheduled to play in Howard Pully pro-am

The Howard Pulley pro-am summer league begins Monday night at the Salvation Army in downtown St. Paul.

League founder Rene Pulley said Monday that the Gophers men's basketball team (and a popular former Gophers forward/Mr. Basketball) will participate in this year's event.

Ralph Sampson III is the only player on the current roster who is not scheduled to compete in the league this summer.

Current Gophers in Howard Pulley Summer League:

Errol Carlstrom Playaz-Eric Starks (walk-on from Grand Rapids), Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbakwe

Pat Madison Magic-Al Nolen, Colton Iverson, Maverick Ahanmisi (freshman), Elliott Eliason (freshman), Austin Hollins (freshman) and Oto Osenieks (freshman)

123Print.com-Mo Walker (freshman), Devoe Joseph

Pulley also said former Gophers forward Royce White is going to play for J.M. Time. A source told me recently that White, who left Minnesota in February, was "narrowing in" on Kentucky.

Kentucky basketball site allkyhoops.com reported Sunday that a source "feels" White will end up with the Wildcats, following conversations with others close to the program.

The White situation, however, is a complicated one.

First, he left Minnesota academically ineligible.

Gophers compliance director J.T. Bruett says White can't receive financial aid from any Division I program in the fall semester, as a result of his academic status. So he'll have to pay his own way first semester if he attends any school, including Minnesota.

Plus, White will be a considered a transfer student, if he attends another university. So barring some kind of NCAA waiver that clears him to play spring semester, assuming he takes care of his studies in the fall, he wouldn't see the floor until the 2011-12 campaign because he'd have to sit out for a year.