Moore School of Business - Moore School - Legendary John Roche Returns to Columbia

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Roche_John It has been more than 35 years since John Roche (BS "71) drove for the basket on the floor of the Carolina Coliseum, but judging from his reception during a recent visit to Columbia, USC fans have a long memory.

Roche made a rare appearance in Columbia at a press conference for the kick-off of USC's "100 Years of Basketball Celebration," held at the Colonial Life Arena July 24. Also in attendance were Roche’s former teammate Kevin Joyce and 1990s great B. J. McKie. (Bobby Cremins [BS ’70], former Georgia Tech coach and now head coach at College of Charleston; John Ribock [BS, '71]; and pro basketball Hall of Famer Alex English, among others, were also invited but were unable to attend.)

Coach Dave Odom, in introductory remarks, referred to Roche as "the most revered name in Gamecock basketball history." Playing under famed basketball coach Frank McGuire, Roche was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year in both 1969 and 1970 and was runner-up in 1971, was a member of the ACC All-Tournament team for 1969-1971 (three years of varsity play), and tied with the University of North Carolina’s Lee Dedmon for the 1971 Everett Case Award (ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player). He was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary Men’s Basketball Team in 2002.

He went on to play eight years of professional basketball with the New York Nets, Kentucky Colonels, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets.

In his senior season at Carolina, he was featured on the cover of the Jan. 4, 1971 issue of Sports Illustrated. "I still get copies of the magazine mailed to me with requests for autographs," Roche says bemusedly.

Roche holds USC career records as the third-leading scorer (1,910), player with the second highest career scoring average (22.5 ppg), and second-leading career free throw percentage shooter (.821). His #11 jersey was retired in 1971, and he was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979.

Roche seems surprised by his appeal among Gamecock fans and their recollection of those several seasons. After all, he has been a successful attorney in Denver, Colorado, for 25 years – far removed temporally and geographically from those days.

The fact is Carolina fans like their sports, and among memorable teams and seasons, those basketball years from 1969-1971, the 14-0 season in 1970 and the ACC title that year, stand out among the stand-out memories. And John Roche was a joy to watch – the star ball handler with the textbook jump shot.

Roche downplays his part and is quick to give credit to his teammates, calling Bobby Cremins "the soul of our team," and using his time at the podium to voice his wish that his teammate from a New York City high school and through four years at USC, Tommy Owens, should be honored with having his jersey retired as well. Roche, Owens, Cremins and others stay in touch and try to see each other every year. Roche said he will likely be in South Carolina periodically to attend College of Charleston basketball games coached by his friend Cremins.

And, if Coach Dave Odom has his way, Roche and Company will be back to help mark 100 years of basketball and to be a part of the "basketball family" at USC. Plans for 100 Years of Basketball Celebration include:

Gamecock Greats – Two to three former players will be honored at each home game during the 2007-2008 season.
All-Decade/All-Century Teams – Fans may vote for the All-Decade and All-Century teams beginning October 15.
100 Years Reunion Weekend – A Reunion weekend will be held February 23 in conjunction with the Mississippi State game. In addition to private social events, former players will hold an alumni game/autograph session at the Colonial Life Arena that Saturday morning.
Commemorative Posters – Posters celebrating players and coaches throughout USC basketball history will be given out at games and available at the Colonial Center.

Roche’s retired jersey now hangs in the Colonial Center, along with jerseys of four other basketball greats – Grady Wallace (who passed away last year; his widow and grandson were in attendance at the press conference), Joyce, English, and McKie.

Gail Crouch
July 26, 2007