Jeffery Taylor: Vanderbilt's First Lottery Pick?
by KingJamesIV on Jun 28, 2010 3:54 PM EDT
in Vanderbilt Commodores Basketball
5 comments
The 2010 NBA Draft came and went without so much as a mention of AJ Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal on the night of the festivities. I like to call this moment "Deja VU" [yes, that is an intentional pun]. Every so often when Vanderbilt does have a player seemingly of NBA-caliber, expectations and hopes are traditionally dashed or severely stunted.
Freije? 53rd overall, despite an impressive scoring pedigree, knack for hitting big shots (see NC State), and a strong perimeter game for such a tall player. Byars? A potential first round pick in the projections, Derrick slipped into the second round went 42nd overall. Shan Foster? Also a second rounder. 51st overall pick.
The worst part, from the Commodore fan's perspective, is watching our beloved players partially realize their NBA dream. It's nice to hear your name called in the draft, but as soon as they announce that 30th pick, it's a let down. Second rounders struggle to make NBA rosters. The chips are stacked against them.
Think about this: over the past 50 years, the Vanderbilt basketball team has been the most consistently successful between the three main men's sports. Yet, it's the sport that has so far produced the fewest number of top-league stars, particularly recently.
Vanderbilt hasn't had a sure thing in basketball since Clyde Lee.
Until 2011.
Barring some catastrophe that will forever haunt Memorial Gym, Jeffery Taylor is a sure-fire first rounder with a great chance to be a lottery pick. And it could be the start of a trend toward more hoops first rounders for the Dores.
Don't believe me?
Jonathan Givony, of DraftExpress.com fame, writes in a piece for Sports Illustrated:
8. Jeff Taylor, Vanderbilt, Junior
Small Forward
6-6, 200 lbs.
Taylor boasts notable athleticism and is one of the best defenders in college basketball. But he is still raw offensively, especially as a perimeter shooter. The Vandy stud has big upside, but must show he can step up and be productive on a consistent basis.
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt: A.J. Ogilvy's decision to stay in the draft took away the Commodores' go-to post player. That means even more pressure will be on the versatile Taylor to produce. If he does, he'll be high on draft boards and the Dores will be a factor in the SEC East.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com rates Jeff as 15th overall for 2011 and the 3rd best small forward (behind incoming Freshmen Harrison Barnes of UNC and Terrence Jones of Kentucky - can't wait for that matchup next season).
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If he develops a jumper this year...
Lottery pick, easily. If he doesn’t, someone will still probably use a first rounder on him, unless he really shits the bed next year.
http://www.anchorofgold.com - For all 27 Vanderbilt fans out there.
Not only does Taylor need to realize his utmost potential for himself
He needs to realize it for the team. Next year has to be the Taylor-Jenkins show. If Jeffery comes in and becomes the player that wants the ball and knows he cannot be stopped, our team will be extremely dangerous. The only thing that stops Jeffery is his mental edge, where he seems to get shell-shocked and disappear. But then you see these flashes of just raw ass-kicking awesomeness, and you realize just how special he could be (see UT at home last year).
Fingers crossed for the Taylor-Jenkins-Festus show
Thunder dunks all day!
http://www.anchorofgold.com - For all 27 Vanderbilt fans out there.
by Train Island on Jun 28, 2010 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Completely Agree
It all comes down to Jeff believing in himself. This offseason will define his future. If he takes the next step, and I think he will, the team is going to challenge.
Reports are that JJ is bringing an offensive onslaught to pick up. Rod Odom could be the next JT (undervalued elite prospect).
by KingJamesIV on Jun 29, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Hope Jeff is putting in the work
Jeff obviously has unbelievable physical tools, he is long, lean, and can jump out of the gym. He is a pretty good perimeter defender and more than likely will only get better at defending. But calling him “raw” on offense would be a compliment. He needs serious work on not just his confidence with his jump shot, but with his mechanics. The reason, I see as why he can’t consistently hit open jumpers, is because his mechanics are not good. He has a very very slow release, and he shoots the ball sort of hunched over. I’m not sure who, if anyone, Vandy uses to work with its players on shooting, but I would love to see Jeff after a summer of really hard work with a shooting coach. The other issue that makes his lack of a jump shot stand out even more, is his finishing ability. I have never seen a player with so many pretty moves to get to the rim, only to miss on the finish time and time again. If he isn’t dunking the ball, then he more times than not will not be able to finish. I don’t know if that is a mental thing, a confidence thing or what, but if he wants to take it to the next level, he needs to put serious work in on those issues. As Stan said above, if he can gain that mental edge, this should be his team along with JJ. What the Dores have lacked these last 2 seasons, is a vocal, confident, go to leader on the floor. I hope J.T has put the work in this summer, and that the coaching team has helped him pin point some of these issues. I can’t wait to see the team we have on the floor this year. GO DORES!
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