Throughout the summer, GoRhody.com will run a weekly feature series introducing the members of the 2025-26 Men's Basketball team. The series will focus on their respective basketball journeys.

KINGSTON, R.I. - When it comes to impacting the game, Tyler Cochran has proven his ability to do so in a variety of ways over the course of his college career.

The burly guard stuffs the stat sheet. He comes to Rhode Island as a 1,200-point scorer with more than 600 rebounds, 189 assists and 179 steals. Cochran comes with accolades as the 2024 MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year as well as a second-team all-conference selection in his final season at Toledo.

During the 2023-24 season at Toledo, Cochran led the MAC with 1.9 steals per game. He also led Toledo with 6.4 rebounds per game, marking the second time in his career the 6-3 Cochran has led his team on the boards. While at NIU in 2020-21, he had a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game.

"Being able to get a rebound, kick the ball ahead and get the offense started is something I have always taken pride in," Cochran said. "Everybody always looks at points, but there is something about grabbing a bunch of rebounds, being as small as I am, that can be an eye-opener. For people who understand the game of basketball, when you look at that stat and see someone who is 6-3 leading the team in rebounding, it is different."

Cochran takes pride in being a complete player, one who is prepared before he ever sets foot on the floor.

"I've always worked to understand the game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor," Cochran said. "So much of this game involves finding the ball and getting yourself in the right spots at the right times. When you understand player tendencies and where shots are taken from, that preparation can put you in the right spots. When you understand those type of things, coaches will trust you. I pride myself on being able to do everything out on the floor."

Over the course of his career, which has taken Cochran from NIU (2019-21) to Ball State (2021-22) to Toledo (2022-24) and Minnesota (2024-25) before Rhode Island, Cochran has posted 10 double-doubles, all with points and rebounds.

"There is something about getting a double-double that I like," Cochran said. "I would rather have 10 points and 10 rebounds than 20 points and two rebounds because it means I am impacting the game in multiple ways. A defensive rebound means a stop. It means we are getting the job done. I just don't want to leave the stat sheet empty."

Coming out of his breakout season at Toledo, Cochran was highly coveted in the portal. He chose Minnesota over Ohio State and Oregon State, but a foot injury suffered during preseason caused him to miss the season. He underwent surgery in September, marking the second time in his career he had to undergo a similar foot surgery. Cochran missed all but nine games with Toledo in 2022-23.

"I've been in college for a long time. Last season, my biggest thing was making sure I trusted my body and I didn't jump the gun," Cochran said. "It was difficult, but it was important to understand that it was okay to sit down and make sure I got right. I had great teammates and coaches who kept telling me, 'Get your body healthy.' Having that great support system mattered. The initial timeline was for me to come back in December or January.

"Ben Johnson, our coach, sat me down and said, 'We want you to be 100 percent, not 90 percent or 80 percent.' It was the Big 10. There were no games at that point in the season where they could just throw me in and let me get my feet back under me. Every game is a dog fight, so it is a difficult position to be in when you are coming back from an injury."

It made sense for all parties involved to allow Cochran to fully heal and set his sights on the 2025-26 season. 

"I definitely feel 100 times better now because (the Minnesota staff) allowed me to get right," Cochran said. "The coaching staff here at Rhode Island understood it was going to be a process for me. I couldn't just get here and go right to it. There was going to be a little bit of easing in, because I hadn't had a real, full team practice since last September. This coaching staff understanding my situation really helped me feel this was the best place for me."

That understanding of Cochran comes from a familiar source, as he played for URI assistant coach James Whitford during his season at Ball State. When Cochran entered the portal after the 2024-25 season ended, Whitford reconnected with him.

"Coach Whitford being here was definitely a huge part of my decision to come to Rhode Island because of the connection that we had," Cochran said. "I had committed to him during the crazy time that was COVID, so this is a full-circle moment for us, coming back together. It is a chance for us to finish business the way we'd like. The first time didn't end the way we would have liked, so this is an opportunity to get things on the right track."

As he settles in to life in Kingston, Cochran does not mince words when it comes to his expectations for the Rams.
 
"I didn't come here to waste time," Cochran said. "I haven't been to the NCAA tournament in my career, and that is one of my biggest goals. With this roster and getting myself healthy, we have the chance to do exactly that. I'm excited for that chance.

"This is the second or third team I've been on where it is a bunch of new guys coming together. My biggest takeaway from the other situations was that it is important not to rush the process. Those of us who are older guys need to communicate with the younger guys and help them understand not to take this time for granted.

"When the coaches say, 'Keep stacking days and keep being consistent,' that is really what it is about. When you are a freshman, it's important to know it is okay to mess up as long as you are learning from mistakes and don't keep making the same ones. We all want to make sure we are continuously stacking the days and making progress. On the good days, take two steps forward. If it's a bad day, make sure it is still one step forward. As long as we are not going backwards, each day will provide those signs that we are going to be a good team."

Check back on Thursday, July 3 for a feature on guard/forward Jahmere Tripp. To order tickets for the 2025-26 Men's Basketball Season, click here.


Summer Series
6/12 - Hinton Brings Strategic Mind to Rhody
6/19 - Johnson Leads With the Spirit of the Wolf
6/26 - Itejere Offers Explosive Presence in the Paint