LAS VEGAS - After being the best player on the floor in UT’s 92-89 upset win over No. 7 North Carolina (5-1), Kerwin Roach II was a popular man.
Following a career-high 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting (3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 5-of-7 at the free throw line), the senior guard did a postgame television interview, radio interview with the UT crew, and then began his walk to the locker room.
“Are you tired?” I asked him as we walked back.
“Nah. I’m good,” he said confidently with a big grin.
As I trailed him back to the locker room, his popularity increased. Texas fans showered him with applause and wanted pictures. Michigan State fans sprinted from their seats to tell him how awesome he was. A member of the Michigan State staff stopped to congratulate him, and later, a North Carolina staff member did the same. UCLA fans complimented him.
Then, he made his way back to the UT locker room where all of the assistant coaches stood waiting on Shaka Smart. As he embraced Darrin Horn, the senior guard couldn’t hide a little bit of emotion pouring out of him. Because this is why Roach came back. This performance is a product of all the work he put in.
“Just a dream come true. I remember last year around this time we played Duke, and everyone came in the locker room crying that we lost. Now, it’s happiness. Everything we did, like situations, practice at 6:00 a.m.… all of it paid off. I felt all the emotions come towards me,” said the senior guard. “All the hard work I put in this summer and offseason hit me at once.”
The hard work is part of the process, but so is the increased maturity and poise. Not only was Roach the best player on the floor, he was the most composed as well.
“Snoop has always been capable of that, but Snoop is more mature than he once was. Snoop got tired at different times throughout the game, but kept fighting. And he continued to make the right play,” said Shaka Smart.
Roach then collected himself after embracing with Horn, and joined a jubilant locker room. A few minutes later, he stepped outside and was the same guy everyone calls Snoop – smiling as if he had just had a great day at practice.
“I think I made a pretty good statement, but the statement isn’t being made until tomorrow when we win the championship,” he said.
He's right. This can't be the only statement Texas makes, and he knows there is much more growth that needs to occur. But posting this kind of stat line in front of over 20 NBA scouts and personnel members probably felt pretty good.
"Everything I worked on this summer showed today," he said.
Everything I worked on this summer showed today.
Following a career-high 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting (3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 5-of-7 at the free throw line), the senior guard did a postgame television interview, radio interview with the UT crew, and then began his walk to the locker room.
“Are you tired?” I asked him as we walked back.
“Nah. I’m good,” he said confidently with a big grin.
As I trailed him back to the locker room, his popularity increased. Texas fans showered him with applause and wanted pictures. Michigan State fans sprinted from their seats to tell him how awesome he was. A member of the Michigan State staff stopped to congratulate him, and later, a North Carolina staff member did the same. UCLA fans complimented him.
Then, he made his way back to the UT locker room where all of the assistant coaches stood waiting on Shaka Smart. As he embraced Darrin Horn, the senior guard couldn’t hide a little bit of emotion pouring out of him. Because this is why Roach came back. This performance is a product of all the work he put in.
“Just a dream come true. I remember last year around this time we played Duke, and everyone came in the locker room crying that we lost. Now, it’s happiness. Everything we did, like situations, practice at 6:00 a.m.… all of it paid off. I felt all the emotions come towards me,” said the senior guard. “All the hard work I put in this summer and offseason hit me at once.”
The hard work is part of the process, but so is the increased maturity and poise. Not only was Roach the best player on the floor, he was the most composed as well.
“Snoop has always been capable of that, but Snoop is more mature than he once was. Snoop got tired at different times throughout the game, but kept fighting. And he continued to make the right play,” said Shaka Smart.
Roach then collected himself after embracing with Horn, and joined a jubilant locker room. A few minutes later, he stepped outside and was the same guy everyone calls Snoop – smiling as if he had just had a great day at practice.
“I think I made a pretty good statement, but the statement isn’t being made until tomorrow when we win the championship,” he said.
He's right. This can't be the only statement Texas makes, and he knows there is much more growth that needs to occur. But posting this kind of stat line in front of over 20 NBA scouts and personnel members probably felt pretty good.
"Everything I worked on this summer showed today," he said.
Everything I worked on this summer showed today.
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