Rothman: Taylor not living up to hype

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By Max Rothman

Friday, November 20, 2009

Where, oh, where has my No. 10 been?

In a year where No. 1 Kansas still seems too good to be true (although tempered a tad by Memphis), the recalcitrant playmaker with NBA potential has been, well, a dud. This year sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor swapped his jersey number from 15 to 10. Ever since that change, the once sparkling jewel has withered and decayed.

In the season opener, a 101-65 slaughtering of Hofstra, Taylor had a quietly productive night, leading the team with six assists and tagging on eight points. However the feisty guard’s definitive “number three option” label in last year’s offense had never been so glaringly slung into the past as it was that night.

As Taylor did his part with 24 minutes of play, freshman guard Xavier Henry hoarded a gleaming national spotlight, scoring 27 points off of endless three-pointers and thunderous slams. It was a booming proclamation that we might not see Taylor reach the hype that once followed him in high school.

Preceding his days in Lawrence, Taylor was the hero at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, NJ. He had all the credentials you could name. Awards? Hudson County 2008 Player of the Year and USA Today’s fictitious national championship. Legendary coach? Had that too: Bobby Hurley Sr. Dream-like last hurrah? Yes, even that too. In his senior year, Taylor led his school to a 32-0 record and claimed the 2008 Tournament of Champions.

After proving to be one of the most dynamic freshman in the nation and earning Freshman All-America Third Team honors, it seemed as if Taylor would only shine even brighter in his sophomore campaign and function as the eventual successor to Sherron. His inconsistent yet still highly promising year seemed to be nothing but the next chapter in the life of a future NBA stud.

Oh, how things can change.

When spelling a cramp-ridden Collins against Memphis, Taylor looked like a cat near water. He never found anything close to a comfort zone in the Scottrade Center, finishing 0-4 from the field with 7 turnovers and only 2 free throws to show.

While Taylor would like to put up 30 points on any given night, that is simply not what is best for this talent heavy team. He is clearly struggling with this humbling realization as he clunks shot after shot.

And the rapid development of freshman guard Elijah Johnson, who ironically snagged Taylor’s former No. 15, the consistency of junior guard Tyrel Reed and the return of injury free freshman guard C.J. Henry can do nothing but decrease Taylor’s minutes on the floor.

In last night’s game against Central Arkansas, Taylor was anemic. He was the only scoreless starter in the first half as he watched his teammates have a field day in their expected thrashing of the Bears. His jump shots were nothing but a tease as they bobbed and bounced around a rim that had answers for everyone but him. He was even blocked on a drive to the hoop and then abruptly replaced by Johnson. Taylor was visibly infuriated as he took his time to find a seat on the bench.

“He’s laboring a little bit right now,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “He doesn’t trust his shot as much.”

It was a truculent offseason for the diva-like talent, who may be NBA bound after a potentially frustrating regular season with the crimson and blue. It’s still way too early to seal anyone’s fate, but perhaps a busted pinky and an exposed shakable ego was the beginning of the end for the old “15” turned “10.”

With every roll of the eyes or barely missed jump shot, we are all reminded of Taylor’s emphatic fall to normalcy. Along with Self and the Jayhawk nation, I pray that Taylor proves me wrong. But until that happens, you’ll just have to wonder.

Maybe that jersey switch wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Follow Max Rothman at www.twitter.com/maxrothman.

— Edited by Lauren Cunningham

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Comments

KU62 (anonymous) says...

"""It was a truculent offseason for the diva-like talent"""
Max, have you never heard of the World University Games ???

""". . . a busted pinky and an exposed . . ."""
New nomenclature for me -- never heard the opposable digit called a 'pinky.'

""" . . . against Memphis, Taylor looked like a cat near water. He never found anything close to a comfort zone in the Scottrade Center, finishing 0-4 from the field with 7 turnovers . . . against Central Arkansas, Taylor was anemic."""
Leading team in assists, cutting turnovers to 0 (Zero) is certainly symptomatic of severe Fe deficiency, I guess.

Expect more such reaction for future articles motivated by itches on your backside.

November 20, 2009 at 1:38 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

BlitzAce71 (anonymous) says...

The recalcitrant playmaker? A truculent offseason? Look Max, I have an extensive vocabulary too, but I tend to reserve it for research papers and scholarly projects. You're writing a sports column dude, talk to sports fans. Do you know why you've never seen the words recalcitrant and truculent in the history of AP sports stories? Because rebellious, aggressive, and defiant are words that your average reader understands. I'm not trying to rip you apart, I'm just saying, have a little more sense than that.

November 20, 2009 at 2:34 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

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