Saturday is a big day for ISU big man Royce White

AMES - Big man, bigger day.

Iowa State forward Royce White faces Texas A&M - the team he lit up with a triple-double early last month in a runaway win - at 3 p.m. Saturday in a Big 12 Conference game at sold-out Hilton Coliseum.

Can the 6-8, 270-pound transfer post huge numbers again for the Cyclones (17-7, 7-4) and help complete a season sweep of the Aggies (12-11, 3-8)?

First things first.

White's son, Royce Alexander II, turns one Saturday.

“It's crazy,” White said recently when asked to reflect on his first year of fatherhood. “It went by so fast. It was there and now we're here. I was just in the delivery room at Mary Greeley (Medical Center in Ames) and now we're here.”

White's coach, Fred Hoiberg, can fully relate.

His three sons were all born in March - a pretty important month on the hoops calendar.

“It's such a special time, especially that first birthday,” Hoiberg said. “The thing about Royce's kid is I think he was walking in about eight months, which is unbelievable.”

Fast, indeed.

“I remember my daughter, basically it was her first birthday when she took her first steps, so it's always those memorable moments you have with your kids,” Hoiberg said. “I'm proud of Royce in how he's handled being a father; how that's a priority in his life.”

So basketball isn't priority No. 1, but it's still vitally important.

And White, who is the only player in the country to lead his team in scoring (13.5 points), rebounds (9.4), assists (4.7), steals (1.2) and blocked shots (1.1), continues to make his mark in that area.

He scored 10 points, grabbed 18 boards and dealt out 10 assists in the 74-50 win Jan. 7 at A&M.

“He had nine rebounds through nine minutes in that game - all on the defensive end,” Hoiberg said. “And that allowed him to bring it down and use his creativity. He was unbelievable that game.”

The Aggies, who seek their fourth straight win at Hilton, couldn't contain White that day.

What might they try Saturday?

“We don't know how teams will defend us going from game to game,” Hoiberg said. “I'm sure most teams will try to mix it up a little bit.”

A&M could return two key cogs to its lineup today: Khris Middleton and Dash Harris.

The talented guards have missed five and four games, respectively.

“We'll prepare (as if) they're going to be there,” Hoiberg said. “Middleton's a very good scorer, a preseason (all-conference) selection. He poses problems with his length. ... But other guys have stepped up. When those guys have been out, their bench has done a really good job of keeping them very competitive.”

Royce II has shown a competitive streak, too.

About the time he was mastering his first steps, he chose to cling to his dad's lap in front of a video game console.

“I'm like, ‘Don't you want to get down and run around and play?'” White said at the time. “He's like, ‘No, I'll just sit here and rock with you.'”