Tyshawn Taylor knows
pressure. After all, he was a key player one year ago as St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
posted a perfect 32-0 record and was the consensus national high school
basketball champion.
The 2007-2008 Friars at the Spalding Hoophall Classic.
Photo By Kevin Yen
“Last year felt good
because we hadn’t won the state in three years,” Taylor told MaxPreps. “We had a bunch of guys
who could score 30 anytime, but we knew we had to sacrifice for the team. When
the tourney came, we knew we couldn’t lose. Our hard work paid off and we
deserved it.”
The 6-foot-3 guard is
one of six 2008 St. Anthony graduates who earned Division I scholarships and
this year have faced higher levels of pressure. With March Madness upon us,
however, Taylor is the only one competing in the NCAA tournament.
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Taylor has started all but two games as a
freshman at the University
of Kansas, which won the
Big 12 Conference regular-season championship. He is averaging 10 points, 3.1
assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting .516 from the field (.381
from 3-point range) and .732 from the free throw line.
His high game was 26 points
against the University
of Oklahoma and he was
named Big 12 Rookie of the Week four times.
“It feels good,” Taylor said of his
starting position in a big-time program. “It shows that I came from a high
school where I was able to play at this level.”
His biggest
adjustments? “How much you work out and not many breaks. The pace is a lot
faster.”
Asked about March
Madness, Taylor
replied, “I’m excited. I’ve been watching it since I had a TV. In high school,
we had a lot of pressure, but not like March Madness. The pressure is a lot
different. You lose and the season is over.”
The standout rookie
already has played in two NCAA tourney victories as the Jayhawks earned a
regional berth this week against Michigan
State. He had 10 points
and three assists during an 84-74 victory over North
Dakota State and
scored three points in a 60-43 win against Dayton.
Kansas freshman Tyshawn Taylor.
Photo By Kevin Yen
“It feels good and I
feel like I’m a big part of it,” he said prior to the Sweet 16. “This is a lot
different than high school. It’s the urgency of March Madness. It’s a little
more exciting. In March Madness you never know – one bad game and you’re done.
People come more turned up. Nobody wants to go home.”
One other former
Friar, 5-11 freshman Travon Woodall, would have gotten a taste of March Madness
with Pittsburgh, but he scored only 10 points in 10 games due to sickness and
knee problems and is expected to be granted a medical redshirt.
Last year’s leading
scorer, All-American Mike Rosario, had an outstanding debut at Rutgers, but the team won just 11 times in 32 games. The
6-3 guard was high scorer with a 16.2 average, while also setting the pace in
3-point baskets (76) and free throw percentage (.840). He also averaged 3.5
rebounds.
Rosario started 30 of 32 games and was
named to the Big East Conference all-freshman team.
Rutgers freshman Mike Rosario.
Photo By Lisa Yen
“Last year felt great
because we were there since freshmen and grew up (together),” Rosario related. “We were called the Fab Six.
There was a lot of pressure because a lot of people expected us to lose again.
My coach (Bob Hurley) said if you don’t win the state you won’t be remembered
at St. Anthony.
“All we wanted to do
was win the state championship (They had not won the Non-Public B title in
three years). I stepped up and we just finished strong.”
Rosario said this year he had to make “a
lot of adjustments for me physically. It was no (impossible) challenge for me
because I’ve been taking on challenges my whole life. Once I learned how
important I was to the team, I thought I would take on the role of being a
leader. I think I did a good job by trying to make things happen for this
program.”
Two other St. Anthony
graduates started in the backcourt for Fordham this year and, like Rosario, suffered through
a losing (3-25) season. Jiovanny Fontan (5-11), however, led the team in
scoring (15.3), assists (4.7) and steals (1.2) as the point guard.
Six-foot-four Alberto Estwick averaged 7.1 points and 3.0 rebounds at shooting
guard.
The sixth St. Anthony
graduate, 6-foot-6 A.J. Rogers, played sparingly for St. Joseph’s University, which finished with
a 17-15 record. He appeared in 12 games, averaged three minutes and one-half
point per game.
Hall of Fame St.
Anthony coach Bob Hurley believes the sacrifices his players made last year
have made it possible for them to have stellar college careers.
“Learning to blend is
what’s helped those kids in college,” he said. “The roles get bigger as you go
along.”
Five of the Fab Six
hope to get their first shot at March Madness next year as sophomores. Rosario nicely summed up
their feelings when he said hopefully, “It’s going to be great to be part of
that – the excitement. It will be good to be on the big stage in front of a lot
of people.”
