Texas Basketball: Look back at Kerwin Roach Jr.’s career
By Shane Black
Kerwin Roach was the only player from the 2015 recruiting class to spend all four years on the Forty Acres. Here are his best moments with Texas basketball.
Kerwin Roach walked off the court in Madison Square Garden on April 3 knowing it was the last time he would ever suit up in the burnt orange and white. He walked off the court with a win, something he did 67 times in his lengthy career with the Texas basketball program.
Fast-forward to Oct. 24, 2014, when the two-sport athlete out of North Shore High School in Houston, TX, committed to Shaka Smart and the Longhorns. Rated as the 45th best prospect in the nation, according to 247Sports, Roach averaged 20.7 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.0 steals as a senior in high school. He led North Shore to a state title in basketball his junior year as well as winning back-to-back state titles in the triple-jump as a junior and a senior.
Roach entered the Forty Acres with fellow freshmen Eric Davis Jr. and Tevin Mack, neither of them stayed at the university past their junior seasons. He had his ups-and-downs on and off the court, but he persevered and finished with what can be considered a quality career as a Texas basketball player.
As a freshman, Roach averaged 18 minutes off the bench as an energy player who excelled in transition and could lock up one-on-one with the best in the conference. His efforts earned him a spot on the Big 12 Conference All-Newcomer team.
As a sophomore his role expanded as he started in 31 of 32 played games. In a season where the Horns finished with the sixth worst winning percentage in their 113-year history, Roach finished first on the team in assists and steals, and fourth in points and rebounds, via TexasSports. He scored double-digit points in 17 of 32 contests.
When his junior season rolled around the expectations were rampant, for Roach and the program as a whole. Coach Smart and the Horns were looking to avoid another missed NCAA Tournament, and Roach was starting to get some looks from the NBA due to his superb athleticism and defensive prowess. Here’s a deeper look into all that Roach did for this Texas Longhorns basketball program.