KU plays Washington with Tyshawn Taylor playing a big role

Monday, November 24, 2008

Sherron Collins has noticed a change in Tyshawn Taylor since he arrived at Kansas five months ago.

Collins, a junior guard, wouldn’t go as far as to call Taylor, a freshman guard, “scrawny” when he first moved to Lawrence. That might be a little too harsh. But Collins said he often joked around with Taylor about being “light.”

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Photo by Jon Goering

Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor glides between two UMKC defenders for a bucket during last Sunday's game at Allen Fieldhouse. the team plays Washington tonight in the CBE Classic and Florida or Syracuse tomorrow, giving freshmen Jayhawks their first major challenge.

Taylor never lifted weights much in high school. That changed, of course, when Taylor came to Kansas. Since he began working out with his teammates in the summer, Taylor has gone from weighing 165 pounds to 180. Collins says Taylor is proud of it. Too proud.

“He might be getting out of the shower, taking his shirt off, looking and flexing a little bit,” Collins said. “I’m just looking at him like, ‘put your shirt back on’.”

Taylor’s stronger, but not quite burly. He’s confident, but not quite cocky. Yes, a lot has changed for the Jersey City, N.J. guard since he committed to Kansas just weeks after it won the national championship in April.

He’s transformed from a recruiting afterthought to the most hyped player of the class of seven Jayhawk newcomers. The veterans on Kansas’ roster don’t like to single out one freshman as ahead of the rest of the class.

When asked who could impact the team the most, they try to answer politically and share positive traits about each one. But most of them mention Tyshawn Taylor first.

“Tyshawn is really good,” sophomore guard Brady Morningstar said. “I mean, they’re all really good. But Tyshawn is quick, jumps real high and can handle the ball. He’s the type of player you don’t see a whole lot.”

But Jayhawk fans should be seeing him plenty for the rest of the season, starting tonight when Kansas plays Washington at 9 p.m. at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Taylor broke into the starting lineup as a shooting guard during Kansas’ second game of the season, an 85-45 victory against Florida Gulf Coast.

Kansas coach Bill Self said it was because Taylor brought an element of athleticism and speed that the Jayhawks don’t have otherwise. He showed it all throughout the summer when he dominated in scrimmages and exhibition games with teammates.

He even scored 47 points in a Kansas City Pro-Amateur game. Taylor averaged 14 points during the team’s three-game trip to Canada during Labor Day weekend. Although he hasn’t broken out in either of the two regular season games with six points in each, Taylor isn’t going to be short on chances.

“He’s got to play a big role as a freshman,” Collins said. “I need him. We need him.”

An argument can be made that Taylor’s role at Kansas is even more significant than the one he held last year at St. Anthony’s High School in New Jersey. That’s because the Friars were dominant.

USA Today crowned them the high school basketball national champions. Six Division-I basketball players — Rutgers’ Mike Rosario, Fordham’s Jiovanny Fontan and Alberto Estwick, Pittsburgh’s Travon Woodall, St. Joseph’s A.J. Rogers and Taylor — filled St. Anthony’s roster.

With such a loaded roster, there were only so many shots to go around. Taylor only averaged 10 points per game.

“That was his job,” Self said. “He never played the third and fourth quarter for the most part largely in part to the score differential. But he’s good.”

The nature of his high school team may have caused Taylor to be a bit overlooked. Rivals.com only ranked him as the 77th best player in the class — second lowest of Kansas’ freshmen — and gave him four stars.

He also committed early to Marquette and coach Tom Crean. When Crean left Marquette at the end of last season, the Golden Eagles let Taylor out of his letter of intent.

Three Jayhawk underclassmen had just declared for the NBA Draft so Self possessed scholarships to award. He offered one to Taylor. Taylor visited and knew he wanted to come to Kansas.

“Right now, I feel like I’m in the best situation,” Taylor said. “I’m grateful for it.”

And so is Self. Lately, Self spoke about similarities between Taylor and former Jayhawk Mario Chalmers. Self said Taylor had some of the same abilities and hoped he could grow into a lock-down defender like Chalmers.

Taylor said Self talked to him recently about anticipating steals the way Chalmers — who ranks second all-time at Kansas with 283 steals — did. Taylor thinks he’s up for the challenge and might gamble more for steals in the upcoming games.

Either way, Taylor, who wears the No. 15 jersey Chalmers left behind last year, is flattered.

“To be compared to him is awesome,” Taylor said. “I want to say that I hope I can fill his shoes.”

Self’s high-regard for Taylor, however, has translated into the coach being tougher on him. During games, Self yells at Taylor a lot from the bench. Collins says it’s the same way in practice.

Taylor’s turnovers aggravate Self. In the first two games, Taylor has committed five. Self says Taylor “needs to value the ball” if he wants to be a standout player in his first year in Kansas.

His teammates think it’s all coming together. Collins won’t be surprised if Taylor shows it against Washington tonight or Florida/Syracuse tomorrow at the Sprint Center as part of the CBE Classic.

“Tyshawn is the type that can have a breakout game,” Collins said. “I’ve seen it before and I’m expecting him to have a breakout game coming here in the next two games.”

And if he does, Collins will make sure he doesn’t flaunt it too much.

— — Edited by Ramsey Cox

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