Basketball Previews: Where does Tyler Roche fit?

This will be an important year for BC basketball. Skinner has to mix his most touted recruiting class with one of his thinnest rosters of returning, productive players. I'll take quick glances at the new and old faces as the season approaches.


RETURNING PLAYER

Tyler Roche, F, 6'7

Last season when injuries and suspensions hit Skinner's rotation hard, he turned to Tyler Roche. The results were mixed. This year will be very important for the New Hampshire product. If he doesn't show real improvement this year, he might not see much playing time as a Junior and Senior.

Strengths: Good shooter. Far more productive than people realized in his limited minutes. Knows where the open men are in the flex.

Questions: Why isn't he more aggressive with his open looks? Can he become an adequate defender of ACC talent? Is he strong enough to play more minutes closer to the basket?

Outlook: You hear things about Roche like "he doesn't miss in practice" and you wonder what happened last year. He should have made a killing by just waiting for a kick out from Dudley. But he was very hesitant. Maybe it was freshman jitters. If he doesn't step up this season and in the early part of the year, he may be a lost cause. I am sure he is a nice kid, but Skinner likes a tight rotation and there are too many guys fighting for playing time at the wings. I think Roche will step up and become a real scoring option and be part of BC's surprising season.