Roach celebrates birthday with his family and a Texas commitment

HOUSTON - Kerwin Roach will have a lot more more birthdays, but none of them will be quite like today.

With well over 10 family members in attendance, Roach, who goes by the nickname "Snoop," stepped up to the podium in the North Shore gymnasium and committed to Texas. How he did it is unlike pretty much all recruiting announcements. The nation's No. 34 prospect paused, and glanced at the crowd, which was a family member's cue to bring up a little bundle of joy. Seriously, it was a little bundle of joy. With an enormously vibrant smile on his face, Roach held his newborn baby cousin, who was dressed in Longhorns clothes to help deliver the news. He's a Longhorn.

"It's really great," said Roach about being able to commit to the school of his choice on his birthday with so many family members in attendance. "It's a great feeling. It's a blessing."

Soon after he made the news official, Roach spent the next 20 minutes taking pictures and being hugged by a ton of friends and family that were all wearing Texas hats like Roach. They did a good job of hiding them. Then, birthday cake arrived and was quickly demolished by teammates and friends there to support. Again, it was a birthday moment that will be unlike any other Roach experiences.

Before he was able to take a minute to announce and break the news to those in attendance, Roach's coach stopped him and spoke to the crowd for a second time.

"He doesn't have the big head," said North Shore head coach David Green. "He doesn't get caught up in himself. You don't get that all the time from great players."

Green wasn't the only person to speak about how humble Roach is. It's something the newest Longhorn learned from his family.

"I was raised to be humble and to stay true to yourself and those around you," Roach stated. "I didn't think all this (committing to a school like Texas on his birthday with family in support) was going to happen, but I knew it (a basketball scholarship to a high-level school) was coming. I was putting in work constantly, so it was bound to come."

Thought to be a Longhorn lean for a very longtime, Roach isn't quite sure when he knew for sure it was going to be Texas. But there was something about the program that he was constantly drawn towards.

"I've got to say… I really don't know. I had this feeling about them the whole time," Roach responded when asked when he knew for sure he'd be going to Texas. "They were sincere about it. They were real direct with me. They didn't beat around the bush. They let me know their game-plan and how they viewed me - my talent level, where they see me in the offense, who they're recruiting and why they're recruiting them, that they want to put pieces around me. They were always straightforward with me."

The Longhorns had some help in their corner. Recent 2015 commitment Eric Davis was in constant contact with Roach.

"Oh yeah," responded Roach about Davis recruiting him to Texas. "He was like, 'Hook'em. Seal the deal.' He was doing some recruiting."

Like Davis, Roach is viewed as a combo guard. However, he'll likely be playing a lot of point guard at Texas.

"Me and ED (Davis), we're both combos that can score," the four-star prospect said. "But I'm really a point guard. I love getting my teammates involved. I can see the floor and create. I think I'm going to play a lot of point guard at Texas. If I don't, I'll just play off-the-ball. That's no problem."