Tyshawn Taylor: not a bad kid, but not a leader either

Tyshawn Taylor isn't going to be showing up on many preseason all-american teams.

He didn't make the BIAH list of Top 25 point guards in the country, and he barely made the list of Top 140 players in the country. Kansas fans will call those rankings snubs, and based on raw ability, that is probably true. Anyone that saw Taylor go for 20 points, five assists and four rebounds against Texas in the Big 12 title game back in March would agree.

The issue with Taylor, however, is consistency. He had six turnovers and just one assist in the Jayhawk's loss to Kansas State in February. He struggled in much-too-close for comfort wins over the likes of Iowa State and Nebraska. But where Taylor is the most inconsistent is off the court. He's been suspended multiple times in his Kansas career -- most notably stemming from the fight between the basketball and football teams back in 2009. Last season, he sat two games at the end of February for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

I've already written about my concerns with having Taylor as a leader, but apparently I wasn't the only one that felt that way. J. Brady McCollough, the brilliant Jayhawk beat-writer for the Kansas City Star, wrote a terrific profile of Taylor (I strongly encourage you to go read that, like, right now). He tried to break down exactly why Taylor struggles with his behavior off-the-court.

Some of it makes sense. For instance, in an effort to get his family out of a bad neighborhood in his native New Jersey, Taylor pushed for them to move to Lawrence, KS. Where the typical college student goes to school to get away from his family and experience life on his own, Taylor brought his family along with. That means that instead of worrying about what shoes he's going to wear out on a Friday night, he may be playing mediator for an argument between his two sisters. Instead of being able to go hang out with his teammates, he may need to be giving someone a ride to work.

"The situations that a 20-year-old college kid can escape, I usually can't," Taylor told McCollough. "Because my family is right here. I haven't really ever just been worried about myself since I've been here."

As a person, that's a good thing. I'm sure most people out there will agree with me that they want their son worrying about looking after his little sisters and putting family before himself. Throw in the fact that Taylor's "crimes" were nothing that would get a normal college student in trouble, and I think its safe to say that Taylor is not a bad person.

But that doesn't mean that there aren't concerns for Kansas with Taylor running the point this season. Taylor has essentially admitted that he is distracted by the presence of his family in Lawrence. He's also proven that a) he's not able to follow the rules put in place by Bill Self on his team and b) he's not smart enough to avoid getting caught when he decides to break those rules. He's distracted, and while those distractions are, at times, more important than simply playing a basketball game, they are distractions nonetheless. And they take away from his performance on the court.

Hopefully, after reading McCollough's profile, anyone that had made up their mind that Taylor was a bad kid will have changed it. As far as I can tell, he's not.

But not being a bad kid does not make one an ideal leader for a basketball team.
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Tyshawn Taylor, Elijah Johnson suspended

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

Late on Sunday night, Bill Self announced that his starting back court of Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson will be suspended for both of the team's exhibition games.

"Tyshawn and Elijah have both been terrific since school began in August," Self said in a statement. "They've not only performed well, they have been very responsible and disciplined the first few months of the school year. But during the offseason they violated a rule that I told them, because of some past experiences, their punishment was going to be severe and I was going to hold them out of the two exhibition games. They have been aware of this for several months and also are disappointed but have had very positive attitudes about it."

Its easy to write this off as a non-issue.

The rules violation happened in the summer and Taylor and Johnson have been well-behaved since then. They are also only going to miss exhibitions. If the suspension is for games that don't count, is it really a suspension at all?


Its also not that simple. Kansas is an inexperienced team this season. They lost a lot of players that played a lot of minutes over the past two or three years. A lot of players -- Taylor and Johnson included -- are going to be adapting to playing new roles this season. That's the benefit of the exhibitions. It affords an opportunity to practice your offensive and defensive sets against an opponent that isn't simply wearing their practice jersey on the opposite color. That's a valuable experience for anyone, let alone a team with so many new pieces that will be facing off with Kentucky just a week after the second of the two exhibitions.

There's a bigger issue here as well. Taylor, and to a lesser extent Johnson, are supposed to be the veteran leaders for Kansas this year. Both were suspended from the team last season, however, and Taylor also played a large role in inciting the brawl with the Jayhawk football team.

And now they have been suspended during an important time for a rebuilding Kansas team. Is that the kind of maturity you want your veteran leaders and starting back court to show? Can Bill Self truly rely upon these two players when both of them have been suspended multiple times from the team?

Kansas is not a deep team this season. With Thomas Robinson's knee injury, one sprained ankle in Monday's practice means they will be starting a walk-on in their exhibition on Tuesday. Taylor and Johnson are critical to Kansas having a shot at winning the Big 12 title.

If you're a Kansas fan, is that something that makes you comfortable?
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Hoops Housekeeping: Tyshawn Taylor suspended, Corey Stokes returning

Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson: Kansas head coach Bill Self announced this afternoon that Taylor, the starting point guard for the Jayhawks, will be suspended indefinitely.

“Although we are disappointed in Tyshawn, he will remain a member of our team and practice with our team until he is reinstated for competition,” Self said.

There is no word yet on what Taylor did to get himself suspended or what the length of his suspension will be. In his absence, KU has plenty of options. Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed have both been playing very well of late, but neither of then are natural point guards. Obviously, there is Josh Selby, the uber-talented freshman, although he has had a bit of an up and down first year. The x-factor in this equation will be Elijah Johnson. Like Selby (and Taylor, for that matter), Johnson is a super-talented kid that just hasn't figured out how to put it all together and earn minutes.

The bigger issue, as I wrote about over at Beyond the Arc, is that this is just another example of the lack of leadership on this Kansas team.

Bill Self also commented on the status of Thomas Robinson. The sophomore has been out after tearing his meniscus, saying "My anticipation is it’s a 50-50 chance he can play a little bit."


Corey Stokes: Stokes will be in the lineup tonight as Villanova hosts Syracuse on Big Monday. He has missed the last three games with turftoe he suffered against Rutgers.

“It feels good,” Stokes said. “I’ll be able to play.”

That said, Wright announced that Stokes will be coming off of the bench and he will be wearing a protective insole.

“We can’t prepare to go in with him as a starter, then have something happen in warmups where he can’t go,” Wright said. “It’s not just running or jumping off it. You have to worry about him getting stepped on or kicked. So he won’t start, but then we’ll bring him in, give him a shot and see how he responds.”


Chandler Parsons: Parsons sat out Florida's win on Sunday over LSU as he continues to battle the deep thigh bruise he suffered 10 days ago against Tennessee. The injury was apparently bad enough that it was bleeding. As of now, Florida head coach Billy Donovan is not expecting that Parsons will be back.

"Right now, I'm not personally overly optimistic that he'll play," Donovan said on the SEC teleconference. "We've got a couple days here to see how much progress he can make."

He tried to practice on Friday in preparation of Sunday's game, but he wasn't effective.


Chris Singleton: Jeff Goodman caught up with Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton in an attempt to learn more about Chris Singleton's foot injury. The verdict? Hamilton doesn't even know (or isn't willing to share) the extent of the injury.

"Everyone heals at their own genetic rate," Hamilton said. "There's no way anyone can predict if or when. It does us no good to speculate."
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Seriously, Tyshawn, just stay off facebook

Back in September, the Kansas basketball and football teams got into a couple different fights that resulted in Tyshawn Taylor injuring his thumb.

That was bad enough.

How could Taylor have made it worse?

By broadcasting to the world that he did, in fact, get in this fight. Via facebook.

Then earlier this month, Taylor told a reporter that, at times during the season, he and his teammates didn't necessarily know what their role on the team was supposed to be. As you might have imagined, Bill Self was none too pleased about either of these incidents.

Which makes this week's rumors all the more ridiculous.

Rumors were flying during the Kansas-Baylor game earlier in the week that Taylor had posted on his facebook earlier in the week that he wanted to transfer from KU, and the fact that hours later his facebook page was taken down only legitimized that rumor. Taylor only played 15 minutes against Baylor, and sat for the first 17 minutes of the first half.

Bill Self addressed the rumors on Friday, saying he had heard about the comments but had no idea if a) they were true or b) if Taylor actually wanted to transfer.

"I don't think that's even remotely true," Self said. "But if he has said that, which I do not think to be the case, then that's the reason he's not playing well -- because his head's not right."

Taylor's entire family has reportedly moved to Lawrence to help Tyshawn deal with what is clearly a difficult time for the young man.

One thing for Taylor - and Kansas fans - to keep in mind is that Russell Robinson almost transferred out of KU early in his career. He stuck it out, and ended up becoming an extremely valuable piece of a national title team. Taylor is a similar player to Robinson. The kid clearly has some talent, but he's not going to become a lottery pick if he transfers to a school where he can be the focal point of an offense.

Its true that Taylor probably needs Kansas more than Kansas needs Taylor. But that doesn't change the fact that Kansas does need Taylor. He;s the perfect glue guy to play in between Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry.

Hopefully, he will realize that.

While the Jayhawk's title hopes don't rely on Taylor, they sure will take a hit if he leaves or continues to struggle.
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2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Shooting Guards

The season is fast approaching. The first games are on Nov. 9th, and the BIAH live blog during ESPN's season kickoff is just two weeks away. So with just a week until actual games are played, we figured the best way to finish up our 2008-2009 season previews is to give you our Top 10 players at each position. You know how much we love a good Top 10 list here.

A few caveats. First, we're talking about how good these guys are as college players, not how well they project as a pro. Second, while it may be too much power for me, I am making the executive decision on what "position" a player is (and it may not necessarily be what he is listed as on a roster). Third, I am not putting the freshman in the list. As much as I've read about these guys and as many Youtube clips as I have watched, I have yet to see many of them play a real game (the all-star games don't count), and I don't think that I could give an accurate assessment until I see them play. Lastly, I love me a good argument, so if you think someone is too low or too high or the wrong position, leave a comment and let me hear about it.

Here are the point guards.
These are the shooting guards.

Best Freshman:

• Avery Bradley, Texas
• Kenny Boynton, Florida
• Xavier Henry, Kansas
• Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati

Best of the Rest:

• Elliot Williams, Memphis
• Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
• Osiris Eldridge, Illinois State
• William Buford, Ohio State
• Steven Gray, Gonzaga
• Denis Clemente, Kansas State
  

Top 10

• 10. Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas: Taylor is not on this list for the numbers he is going to put up. That would be impossible playing on a team as talented as Kansas this year. But Taylor may be the best team player in the country. He's no stranger to talented teams - his St. Anthony's High School team sent seven kids to D1 schools. Taylor's biggest strength is his intelligence on the court. He makes good decisions with the ball, is an excellent passer (especially feeding the post), and is as good of a defender as you will find at the position. Offensively, he has yet to really show the country what he can do. He picks his spots well, so don't be surprised if Taylor has a couple games where he goes for 25 this year.
  


• 9. Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati: At 6'1", 195 lb, Vaughn is built like a running back, but it isn't his physical tools that make him special. Vaughn can flat out score the ball. He is a streaky shooter, but when he gets hot he can go for 30 on a given night. Vaughn also has the quickness and the handle to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Simply put, Vaughn has all the skills you could ask for in a scoring guard. The problem the last two seasons has been his supporting cast, as Vaughn was not only asked to be the team's point guard, but to also be the team's only true perimeter threat. With Cashmere Wright back from injury and Lance Stephenson joining the team, he now has that. Don't expect Vaughn's scoring numbers to shoot through the roof, as the addition of Wright and Stephenson will reduce his shots, but do expect to see a better Cincinnati team and a much more efficient Deonta Vaughn.
  


• 8. Jerome Dyson, UConn: Dyson was the overlooked guy on the UConn Huskies last season. With Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet inside, and AJ Price running the show, people forgot about Dyson. It didn't help that he missed the end of the season with a knee injury either. But Dyson is a star in the making. With athleticism to burn, Dyson is at his best when he is slashing to the rim and making plays in the full court. He can knock down a three when he is left open, but his slow release makes it difficult for him to get his shot off at times. The faster tempo that UConn is going to play at this season will fit in perfectly with Dyson's skill set as he is a terror in the passing lanes and always a threat to posterize a defender on a break.

Jerome Dyson will make quite a few posters this season.
(photo credit: daylife)

• 7. E'Twaun Moore, Purdue: Moore isn't a flashy player. He isn't going to wow you with cross overs or dunks. He isn't going to take over games on the offensive end. What Moore does is play a very controlled game. He isn't going to blow by his defender every time down court, but when it is there he can get to the rim. He isn't a gunner, but he is a good enough shooter that you have to contest it (although his shooting numbers dipped quite a bit last season). He's a good passer, a good rebounder, and a very good defender. And to top it off, he has led Purdue in scoring in his first two seasons. He may not be the most athletically gifted at the position, but you would be hard-pressed to find a two guard in the country better suited for the system they play in.
  


• 6. Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga: I love Matt Bouldin's game. He is such a heady, fundamental player. Playing on Gonzaga's most talented team last season, Bouldin was forced into a bit of a complimentary role. But that was more of a result of his all-around ability than a lack of ability. Bouldin can shoot, he can handle the ball, he can penetrate and kick, he can defend - there really isn't a weakness to his game, except for maybe a lack of ideal explosiveness out of a two guard. We shall see this season if he can develop into a star. If he does, don't be surprised if he wins a WCC player of the year award and Gonzaga makes another NCAA Tournament.
  


• 5. Terrico White, Ole Miss: The Rebels caught a devastating case of the injury bug last season, as they had three back court guys go down early with season ending knee injuries. While it put quite a damper on their season, the blessing in disguise was it allowed Andy Kennedy to see what he had in freshman Terrico White. White is an athlete, but he relied a bit too much on that athleticism a year ago. He also had trouble with shot selection and decision making on the offensive end, but a big reason for that was the fact he was forced to play a lot of minutes in a de facto lead guard role with Chris Warren out. Now that Warren is healthy, White will be able to move off the ball, where he shined this summer with the U19 team.
  


• 4. Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech: Delaney has put up impressive numbers during his first two seasons with the Hokies, but playing behind guys like AD Vassallo and Deron Washington kept his profile to a minimum. Don't doubt him though, because Delaney can play. He will likely handle the ball quite a bit this year for Seth Greenburg, but Delaney's at his best when he is looking to score. He is a dead eye three point shooter when he is open, but he has a tendency to force it a bit, although some of that is a result of Tech having a limited number of playmakers. If he can mature a bit in his decision making and shot selection, Delaney has the potential to be a lethal scorer this year.

Malcolm Delaney is a name you will hear a lot of this season.
(photo credit: flickr)

• 3. Isaiah Thomas, Washington: Thomas played a lot of minutes as Washington's point guard last season, but with the addition of Abdul Gaddy to run the show, Thomas will slide over to the off guard spot. Off the ball is where Thomas should be more effective as he is a natural scorer. He is at his best when he is using the bounce to penetrate. He has a tight handle and a tremendous first step, which makes him a nightmare to try and defend. That ability will be magnified as he will be playing in a Washington system that will allow him countless opportunities in the open court. Thomas's diminutive size is his biggest weakness. Standing just 5'9", he was inconsistent as a perimeter shooter when he had a hand in his face, but in the lane it is less of an issue as he has an advanced in-between game - he has an excellent floater and knows how to uses body contact to create space between himself and his defender.
  


• 2. James Anderson, Oklahoma State: Anderson is first and foremost a shooter. His entire offensive repertoire is based on his catch and shoot ability from deep. An excellent athlete, Anderson is also able to use one or two dribbles and elevate over defenders in the mid-range. Where he struggles is with his ball-handling. He is very much a straight line dribbler without the ability to change direction or change speed. While it may be tough to top the 18.2 ppg he posted last season, if he improved this aspect of his game in the off-season, Anderson will be a much more complete player.

Willie Warren and James Anderson will compete for the Big XII scoring crown.
(photo credit: kfor.com)

• 1. Willie Warren, Oklahoma: Warren struggled at the beginning of his freshman campaign, but by the end of the year many considered him a lottery pick. Warren is a fantastic athlete, but what makes him so dangerous is his exceptional scoring instincts. With a quick first step, the ability the change gears and change directions, great body control in the lane, and the explosiveness to finish above the rim, it isn't hard to see that Warren was built to score. The fact that he can handle the ball (he played a lot of point last season for the Sooners) and shoot it from deep (he struggled to start the year, but shot 38% in Big XII play) only makes him more dangerous. With Tommy Mason-Griffin headed to Norman, Warren will be allowed to move off the ball where he can focus on, what else, scoring.
  

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UPDATED AGAIN: Tyshawn Taylor injured in a fight with KU's football team

UPDATE II: This morning, the football and basketball teams at Kansas got into another fight. According to this report, at 10am a football player went after one of the Morris twins, who responded by pushing the player down the stairs. More punches were thrown as more players from each team showed up. Things eventually died down when police and coaches showed up. It is also being reported the cause is a beef that a football team member has with Sherron Collins.

UPDATE: Tyshawn Taylor has admitted that he threw a punch which resulted in him dislocating a finger and landing in the hospital.

How did he admit it?

Via facebook, of course. I'm sure Bill Self is ecstatic.

From the KC Star (via The Big Lead):

"keep my name out ya’ mouth for you get smacked in it," [Taylor] wrote at 11:12 a.m. Tuesday, and 30 minutes later he posted, "never get outta character .. I’m always a G about it."

About 4 p.m., Taylor posted, "(racial slur)s be muggin me ..you know I’m mugging back."

The fight reportedly went down at 6:30 pm Tuesday. After his trip to the hospital, Taylor went back to Facebook:

"I got a dislocated finger ..from throwing a punch ..so don’t let the news paper gas yall up aite," Taylor wrote.

Minutes earlier, around midnight, he wrote: "real (racial slur)s do real things .. point plankn."

TBL also is reporting that the rumor going around Lawrence right now is that the other player is Dezmon Briscoe (a star wide receiver for the Jayhawks) and that the fight was over, what else, a girl. Of course, none of that has been verified yet. Apparently, the fight was over a girl that dated a player from one team and now dates a player from the other.

We'll be keeping an eye on this story, as I'm sure there will be some consequences for all involved.


According to reports from the Lawrence Journal-World, Kansas sophomore Tyshawn Taylor was injured in a fight with members of the Kansas football team at 6:30pm on Tuesday as the two crossed paths at the entrance on a building on campus.

Taylor dislocated his thumb and was taken to the hospital. He will reportedly be out 3-4 weeks. KU's midnight madness, called Late Night in the Phog, is on October 16th, which means that Taylor may not be ready to start the season with the team.

Tyshawn Taylor was injured in a fight with some football players.
(photo credit: Flickr)

It is not known who the other players involved in the incident are, but the Kansas athletics department is aware of and, as of last night, was already looking into the issue. Bill Self was not on campus as he is out on the road recruiting.

Taylor seems to be poised for a big year. The New Jersey native and St. Patrick's product started all but two games as a freshman, averaging 9.7 ppg, before leading the U19 team to a gold medal in the World Championships with a team-high 10.8 ppg.

More on this as the news comes in.

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