Monday, October 20, 2008
They’re like Kennedy and Lincoln. Russell Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor have so much in common it’s beyond coincidence.
They both play point guard. They’re both from the New York City area (Jersey City for Taylor and the Bronx for Robinson). They both played for a high school basketball powerhouse (St. Anthony’s for Taylor and Rice for Robinson). They both chose Kansas instead of Georgia Tech. Their first names are both composed of seven letters.
All they need is the rumor about a secretary.
But here’s the real comparison: Tyshawn Taylor played like the college version of Russell Robinson in high school, but now that he’s in college, he’ll play like the high school version of Russell Robinson.
Whoa. Did that make sense? Probably not, so here’s what I mean.
Robinson was a scorer in high school. A gunner. He wore No. 23, like MJ, and he shot the ball. A lot.
Robinson could make three-pointers, and despite being 6-foot-1, he could bang inside with guys who were three or four inches taller than him. In his first year at Rice High School, he and Lincoln’s Sebastian Telfair were the only freshmen in the Bronx to start. By his senior year, he was averaging 22 points and eight rebounds.
Somehow, the scoring and athleticism didn’t make it to Lawrence on Robinson’s trip west. It might’ve been the injuries. Robinson played injured every year in high school. He broke both his wrists and both his ankles and suffered from chronic shin splints. By the time he got to Kansas, he was damaged goods.
“I’m not as quick as I used to be,” Robinson once said.
The other part was his team. His freshman year, Robinson was supposed to give the ball to Wayne Simien. The next three years, he had Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright and Darrell Arthur to feed.
So he adjusted. He showed his best trait was that ability to evolve as he turned from a scorer into a defensive specialist and distributor.
Those words describe Taylor’s job in high school exactly. He averaged 10 points and five assists a game for St. Anthony’s, a team stocked with high-level prospects that won the mythical national championship last season. Coach Bob Hurley needed Taylor to pass. Not score.
It will be different in college. No legitimate scorer returns for the Jayhawks. Sherron Collins can score but he’s dealt with injuries and weight problems. Cole Aldrich hasn’t proven he’s ready yet.
Taylor is the one. He dropped 47 points in a summer league game, led the team in scoring in two out of three Canada exhibitions and at Late Night on Friday.
It’s early, but Taylor has adapted like Robinson did. He shoots. He drives. He scores. He’s the high school version of Russell.
Decision Time 2008
Todd Reesing is a candidate for the O’Brien award, which is given to the nation’s top college quarterback every year. As of last weekend, he was in ninth place. But you can change that. Visit voteobrien.org to vote Reesing as the winner.
— — Edited by Arthur Hur
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