Steve Taylor Senior Mix Tape

[MUCrew]

http://ballislife.com/steve-taylor-senior-season-mixtape-chicago-simeon-3-peat-state-champs/

[Dawson Rental]

Six years ago, he goes to Illinois or Xavier.  How things have changed for the better!

[JakeBarnes]

That mixtape gets me excited.  Really underrated given the presence of Parker on that team.

Watching Todd Smith turn his great instincts inside into a banger down low is going to be a fun process.

[TallTitan34]

: )

[jtrash37]

According to one article, he's put on 45lbs. since committing.  W O W!!!  With his instincts inside and what seemed to be baby soft hands, he could be a force over the next 4 years.

[Wade for President]

I'm glad that Steve will be filling the Lazar Hayward headband void we've had the last few years.

This guy is going to be a beast...and the perfect fit for Buzz's system.

[TomW1365]

I could see him being a force for 2 years... then NBA.

[Slim]

Love his body control in the lane. Not a single left handed shot on the tape. Stay tuned.

[Marqevans]

I could see him being a force for 2 years... then NBA.

You could be right. He looks really good.

[Jam Chowder]

This may seem like hyperbole, but his game looks just like Lebron. Huge ceiling for this guy.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Six years ago, he goes to Illinois or Xavier.  How things have changed for the better!

Xavier & U of I's 06 recruiting classes were stacked with Chicago talent

http://rivals.yahoo.com/xavier/basketball/recruiting/commitments/2006

http://rivals.yahoo.com/xavier/basketball/recruiting/commitments/2006/illinois-26

[esotericmindguy]

I could see him being a force for 2 years... then NBA.

I could also see him not playing and transferring. People were raving about juan anderson and last year and james jones the year before  Seeing a Senior mix tape and saying he'll be in the NBA is ridic.

That said, he looks like a beast. If his game translates he could be a Clark type player that was with Louisville a few year back.

[QuetteHoops]

This may seem like hyperbole, but his game looks just like Lebron. Huge ceiling for this guy.

I'm not a Lebron fan at all but nobody's game looks like his especially Taylor's. I'd compare it more to a poor man's Garnett then Lebron.

[Dawson Rental]

I'm not a Lebron fan at all but nobody's game looks like his especially Taylor's. I'd compare it more to a poor man's Garnett then Lebron.

Let them have their fun.  These flights of fancy are best taken before a recruit starts a season.  They are too hard to get off the ground after that.

[Dawson Rental]

Xavier & U of I's 06 recruiting classes were stacked with Chicago talent

http://rivals.yahoo.com/xavier/basketball/recruiting/commitments/2006

http://rivals.yahoo.com/xavier/basketball/recruiting/commitments/2006/illinois-26

Okay, let's look at who MU got in 2006.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/xavier/basketball/recruiting/commitments/2006/marquette-653

So, if Steve Taylor was available in 2006, would he have been more likely to have gone with MU or Illinois or Xavier which both got higher recruited big men then MU could?

If you are predicting correctly that Steve Taylor will be the second coming of Trend Blackledge, then I stand corrected.  BTW, Trend was a guy that Crean settled for when the guy who Crean went to Trend's JUCO to recruit decided to go to Indiana, instead.

My point is both Illinois and Xavier got big men that MU would gladly have taken in 2006, but couldn't get.  So, If Steve Taylor were around during those dark days it is almost certain that he would have had Illinois and Xavier ranked ahead of MU in his choices.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Easy, Murs. This isn't 2006, so I don't understand where your original comment came from. Also, 2006 was the year that started MU's current run of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. "Dark days" is a bit exaggerated.

[Dawson Rental]

Easy, Murs. This isn't 2006, so I don't understand where your original comment came from. Also, 2006 was the year that started MU's current run of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. "Dark days" is a bit exaggerated.

Maybe we can say; "Dark days" of big man recruiting.

[strotty]

I think Steve Taylor ends up being Buzz's best recruit to date.

[Bocephys]

I think he's already the most effortless dunker on the team.

[nyg]

Is he really 6ft 9in?  I thought he was 6ft 7in.  If so, nice growth spurt.

[wadesworld]

I think Steve Taylor ends up being Buzz's best recruit to date.

I'm guessing BEPOY Jae Crowder may end up having to say something about that.

[QuetteHoops]

I think he's already the most effortless dunker on the team.

That title easily belongs to Jamil.

[strotty]

I'm guessing BEPOY Jae Crowder may end up having to say something about that.

I know. And I think Taylor can be just as good, if not better.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I know. And I think Taylor can be just as good, if not better.

If I had to bet a healthy chunk of money on it, I'd say his career will look more like Lazar's.  Solid contributions in ~15mpg as a frosh, a nice leap as a soph, then one of the major pieces of the puzzle as an upperclassman.  And that would be an EXCELLENT career.  The biggest difference is he won't have to carry the team at any point like Hayward did senior year.  Buzz has the pipeline loaded. 

However, to reach Crowder's heights he'd have to be an insane defender as well as a great scorer & rebounder.  Not saying he can't do it, just saying the odds are stacked pretty well against him, through no fault of his own.  Crowder had the second best season of any MU player in 25+ years last year, and one of the top 10 Value Add seasons in the entire NCAA over the 6 year span of bama's database.  That's rarefied air.

That said, I obviously hope you're right and I'm wrong.

[Lennys Tap]

I know. And I think Taylor can be just as good, if not better.

Buzz has already said that Steve is "really, really good" - high praise for a guy without even a college practice under his belt. Still a long road to being Jae Crowder good, though.