Development of Kerwin Roach at Point Guard Key for Texas Basketball

Shaka Smart is looking to make major strides in year two with Texas basketball. The No. 21 ranked Horns will be a young, exciting team to watch this season. However, the ultimate success of this Texas squad could rest on Kerwin Roach and his development at point guard.

While Smart has brought in a tremendous amount of talent to Texas, the one area that the team is thin is at the point guard position. Roach was slated to move into that void this season, along with freshman Andrew Jones. The sophomore averaged 7.5 points last season coming off the bench.

The problem, however, is that PG is not Roach’s natural position. Both he and Jones are combo guards who have spent some time at the point for short periods but neither have played it exclusively before. Roach appears to have the edge with his experience from last season in Smart’s season but he’s got room to grow to become a capable point guard.

Complicating matters is that Roach is currently serving a suspension for violating unspecified team rules. He was held out of the team’s exhibition game against Angelo State, robbing him of valuable game experience to hone his skills. Building a rapport with his teammates is vital for an effective PG. Roach simply hasn’t had the opportunity this year to make it happen.

Roach brings tremendous talent to the Texas lineup. He would be an integral part of Smart’s 2016-17 gameplan. However, he must develop as a point guard to take the Horns to the next level.