Nylan Roberts: UBC's Two-Way Forward Built on Size, Speed, and IQ

By Imran Brar

UBC's Nylan Roberts is a 6'8 forward whose game is built on size, speed, and high basketball IQ. He knows where to be, creates for himself and his teammates, and has added to his offensive skill set every year.

I've followed Nylan's development closely. We both come out of Abbotsford, and I trained him the summer before his second year at UBC. His shot was the focus, and his 3-point percentage rose from 16% in his first year to 36% in his second.

Nylan is a simple, effective scorer who lets his athleticism create downhill opportunities. He's most comfortable attacking from the perimeter, using his quick first step and size to pressure the paint. That makes him a threat in transition, where he draws attention and opens dump-offs and kickouts early in the offence. In the mid-post, he has a good foundation, using simple footwork to get to his spots and finding shooters on the weak side. A post fade and sharper decision-making from the post are his next steps.

His IQ is one of his best traits. He's always in the right spot to get easy shots or make the extra pass, and he's at his best on the glass, hunting second- and third-chance opportunities. His 3-point shot is still developing but has improved steadily, and he shows confidence from deep, mainly off the ball in catch-and-shoot situations. He hasn't shown much in the midrange, preferring to attack off the dribble or post up. A midrange pull-up and better decisions attacking closeouts are the next step.

Defensively, Nylan has jumped levels. His aggression on the boards fuels early offence, where he pushes the ball for early looks. He can guard one through five, using his size against quicker guards and his IQ and physicality to force bigger forwards into tough shots. His size and wingspan produce big blocks, and he's active in the passing lanes.

Heading into his third year, Nylan has the chance to show he can do all of this at higher volume as a bigger part of UBC's frontcourt. A legitimate two-way threat with instincts that can't be taught, he'll be a problem next season if his midrange and decision-making make the same strides as his 3-point shot.