After three injury-ridden seasons at Ball State, senior forward Tyler Koch is well acquainted with athletic trainer Troy Hershman.
Koch’s most predominant injury from the 2012-13 season was to his right hip. The 6-foot-6 product of Winchester High School only played 18 games that season, most of his time being spent on the injured list as he tryed to recover from surgery to both of his hips.
This season showed promise for the fifth year senior, returning healthy after a summer of rehabilitation. Part of the process included losing weight, which was to aleviate pressure on the ailing hip.
Koch played in every game until Jan. 18, when he sat out again due to a bruised right hip. Koch averaged 16 minutes a game in the team’s first 14 games, but missed the next 10 to work extensively with Hershman before getting back on the court.
“I gotta give credit to Troy. We’ve been working all year trying to get my hip feeling right.” Koch said.
Koch returned to the court Feb. 23 at Toledo where he played just six minutes. He played five minutes Wednesday against Western Michigan. His biggest impact of the season came on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon as he provided a huge spark in helping his team earn their fifth win snapping a 10-game losing streak.
Koch played 27 minutes as he finished with seven points, six rebounds and four assists. Head coach James Whitford thought Koch played a well-rounded game.
“Tyler, I thought, played a complete game,” Whitford said. “[He played with] leadership, performance on the court and organization.”
Koch played the role of “stretch four” in the win, staying mostly beyond the 3-point line, which forced the opposing defense to pull away from the basket. This allowed Ball State to play through the post without concern for a congested lane.
Proving helpful to the Cardinals, Koch distributed his assists to senior Majok Majok in the post. Majok had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
“Tyler is always looking for me, so I just have to do a better job of finishing.” he said.
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