Lost One to EKy

[Captain Kangaroo]

Brentwood's Taylor picks Eastern Kentucky

By Kevin Gorman <mailto:kgorman@tribweb.com>

TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

It was only fitting that Josh Taylor was standing in line for The Racer at Kennywood Park on Monday when he made official his college choice.

The Brentwood basketball star ended a rollercoaster recruiting process by calling Eastern Kentucky University coaches and making a verbal commitment to the Colonels. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound wing-forward is the first Division I men's basketball recruit from the WPIAL in the Class of 2006.

"I went down on an official visit, met the players and fell in love with it," said Taylor, who spent the weekend on the Richmond, Ky., campus and met president Joanne Glasser.

Taylor is one of the first recruits for new EKU coach Jeff Neubauer, an assistant on West Virginia's Elite Eight team last season. Neubauer replaced Travis Ford, who left for Massachusetts after leading the Colonels (22-9) to the Ohio Valley Conference championship and the NCAA Tournament.

"They're pretty young, so I can go in and play," Taylor said. "After watching them playing in the tournament last year, that's a big dream I have."

After averaging 19.4 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots a game as a junior, Taylor saw his stock skyrocket after an impressive summer with the Pittsburgh J.O.T.S. traveling team.

He started the summer ranked No. 699 in the Class of 2006 by the HoopScoop recruiting service and ended it with eight scholarship offers. Taylor chose the Colonels over Akron, Northern Arizona, Quinnipiac, Rider, Robert Morris, St. Francis (Pa.) and Youngstown State.

"It says a lot about Josh and his commitment to basketball that he's going to have this phenomenal opportunity presented to him," said Mike O'Brien, Brentwood's coach the past two seasons. "He was focused and really determined this summer to prove a lot of people wrong and say, 'I can play at this level.' "

Taylor, a four-year starter, has transformed himself into a solid 3-point shooter who runs the floor fluidly and can pound inside the paint. He showed his strength by breaking the rim off the backboard on a dunk at the adidas Hoop Challenge this past May in Cleveland.

"The backboard didn't break," Taylor said, "but the rim hit my head and it hurt."

Taylor, a two-time all-section pick, enters his fourth season as a starter eight points shy of 1,000 for his career. He is Brentwood's first Division I basketball recruit since Will Griffin went to Towson in 1989.

"I think it's tremendous for him and his family, and for Brentwood basketball," O'Brien said. "These guys saw him play almost every AAU game this summer. They're committed to Josh being Josh. They don't want to change him. They think he can play the 3 (small forward) spot and contribute immediately."