Super sophomore ready for increased role

Replacing a star is never easy.

Some players are just destined to ride the coattails of their more accomplished teammates. Playing second fiddle to a star seems easy, until that star leaves and the program is in need of a new leader.

In May, Buffalo State's all-time leading scorer, Jake Simmons, will graduate, leaving a gaping hole on the men's basketball team. For the program to succeed, the team will need a player to step up and be a leader both on and off the court.

Insert Roderick Epps.

Epps experienced a breakout year in 2012-13, and with Simmons graduating, he is eager to take on a leadership role with the team

"I feel like I'm ready for that," Epps said. "I saw how (Simmons) was a leader on the team, and how other people were leaders, so I absorbed that confidence for me to bring to everyone else on the team."

Confidence seems to be an attribute that Epps has always possessed. That quality, combined with his work ethic, has head coach Fajri Ansari excited to see how Epps will step up into a leadership role.

"I think he's a confident player," Ansari said. "He works hard on his game. He's still young and he's going to have to emerge into being a leader."

Ansari said that becoming a leader is not necessarily instantaneous, but he believes Epps is on the right track.

• "I don't think you just declare yourself a leader and become a leader. It takes certain qualities and traits," he said. "I think this season, as difficult a season it was for us, I think he learned some valuable things that should help him as we move forward."

One of the reasons why Epps is well on his way to becoming the team's new leader might be a conversation he had with Simmons towards the end of the season.

"I had a nice conversation with him about playing as a team and being a leader," Simmons said. "... I let him know that I was leaving the team and he was going to have his time to become a leader."

Epps saw this as a vote of confidence, and said that he will look to Simmons' leadership style as an example for himself over the next two years.

• "He's a good person off the court, and on the court he's an even better person. I respect him a lot," Epps said.

In high school, Epps was a two-year starter for Uniondale High School, and Uniondale head coach Tom Diana thought that he brought a calm demeanor to the team.

• "He was quiet, more of a lead-by-example guy," Diana said. "(He) always worked hard, though, tremendous work ethic, great kid."

Epps' current coach thinks that he will have to step outside of his comfort zone in the upcoming season in order to lead the team more effectively.

• "I think verbally, he's going to have to be more outspoken in terms of leadership and encouragement to the players," Ansari said.

Regardless of Epps' ability to step into a leadership role off the court, it is already abundantly clear that he is comfortable being a leader on the court. Epps finished the season averaging 20.3 points per game, good for second in the nation among sophomores.

Simmons chuckled a little bit when he heard that stat. He said that the number was low compared to what Epps could put up with another season of development under his belt.

• "Once he realizes he can score really well, I think his game will evolve a lot more next year," Simmons said. "Once he becomes more efficient with his shots, I think he can probably average 25 if he wanted to."

Ansari believes that one of the things that will help Epps on the court is his development into a more all-around player.

• "We talked to him about being an overall scorer," he said. "... There's a difference between being a shooter and being a scorer."

When asked about his success this past season, Epps echoed his coach's sentiments about being an overall scorer.

"What changed was just me not thinking I was a straight shooter. I could be a scorer," he said. "Instead of me having just points, I could go across the board with rebounds, assists and steals as well."

It's that level of continuity that will be a key to the Bengals' success when they take the court next season.

In terms of what he needs to work on the off-season, Epps said he needs to get better in an area that won't show up in the box score.

"I need to work on just being hungrier on defense - to be a lock down defender," he said.

Looking ahead, Simmons thinks that Epps' work ethic will aid him in becoming a better player, which can only benefit the program.

"He does want to be a good basketball player, I can see that," Simmons said. "... I think that he will do whatever it takes to become a better basketball player."

Chris Dierken can be reached by email at dierken.record@live.com and on Twitter @cdierken