On October 7, 2021, he committed to playing college basketball for Villanova over offers from Illinois and North Carolina.

[5][6][7] Sources: After missing seven games with a thumb injury, Whitmore made his collegiate debut versus Oklahoma.

[8] Before the draft, Whitmore was widely regarded to be a lottery pick with some projections placing him as high as fourth overall.

[15][16] Whitmore recorded 5 points, 4 rebounds, a block, a steal, and no assists on 27% shooting from the field (25% from three) as the Houston Rockets lost 116–107.

Offensively, he can effectively use a range of dribble moves to score in transition against similarly sized defenders.