travis taylor -monmonth transfer-

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/features/rumors#2093

-The Asbury Park Press is reporting that Monmouth's leading scorer Travis Taylor will transfer from the New Jersey mid-major program. Monmouth head coach Dave Calloway confirmed the rumor.
-Early speculation has Rutgers atop Taylor's list. The 6-foot-7 forward's 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game would fit nicely into head coach Mike Rice's 'win now' philosophy
-During his initial recruitment period, Taylor expressed a desire to attend St. John's. He could attract Steve Lavin's attention as the first-year Red Storm coach attempts to build inroads with local talent.

anyone see him play, his stats are pretty impressive

From the stats - looks interesting.  6'7, 200 pounds, took 5 3-pointers and missed them all - which may mean he has a little range but not enough touch (though he hit 65% of his free throws, which doesn't lead me to believe he's a 3-point bomber waiting to happen).  Had a pass first point guard, and got a lot of shots off.  And got a lot of free throw attempts.  Solid defensive rebounding on that level, passes a little, blocked some shots.

Anyone see any Monmouth games?  Is this guy athletic enough for the Big East?  Seems decently skilled.  But he'd have to be a small forward, where guys like Polee would be.

He's not BE material he's a big fish in a small pond. He got busted for smoking pot last season and got suspended for a majority of the season.

Disappointed he's leaving Monmouth because him and Phil Wait would have been awesome to see in the NEC this season. I'm really surprised he's transferring and Calloway is fighting for his job and needs Taylor. I'll find out the real reason of this transfer.

He's not BE material he's a big fish in a small pond. He got busted for smoking pot last season and got suspended for a majority of the season.

Disappointed he's leaving Monmouth because him and Phil Wait would have been awesome to see in the NEC this season. I'm really surprised he's transferring and Calloway is fighting for his job and needs Taylor. I'll find out the real reason of this transfer.

Sounds like Niagara material

He'd be ok for Rutgers considering they have no one but he'd get beat up. I'd say Gaston is better than him. I think he'd get beat up in the A-10 too.

I really wanted to see him and Wait together. They would have made NCAA's this year.

I just talked with a good friend of mine who played with Taylor at Monmouth and he said he's definitely BE capable. Also said Taylor is looking for a bigger challenge.

Maybe Taylor got a lot better since his freshman year (last time I saw him play) but when I saw him he reminded me of a poor man's Lamont Hamilton.

not to badmouth the player, but I think we should expect better from Lavin and staff. Meaning better than Monmouth transfers

If he's talented enough, a good scout/ assistant should bring him on; all sorts of guys develop in a year or two and "get it," don't matter where he started college.  If we only take transfers from big time schools, we'd miss out on good role players and skilled stars, settling for guys who made their name in high school but may just be lazy/ untalented/ low-ceiling guys. 

Look at Seton Hall's trannies (ok, transfers).  Stix Mitchell could play a little, and he came from Duquesne. Jeff Robinson was solid from Memphis.  Herb Pope, meanwhile, was highly touted but hasn't really developed his consistent scoring touch (he can board well, though), and Keon Lawrence is still a defensive specialist at best.

If he's talented enough, a good scout/ assistant should bring him on; all sorts of guys develop in a year or two and "get it," don't matter where he started college.  If we only take transfers from big time schools, we'd miss out on good role players and skilled stars, settling for guys who made their name in high school but may just be lazy/ untalented/ low-ceiling guys. 

Look at Seton Hall's trannies (ok, transfers).  Stix Mitchell could play a little, and he came from Duquesne. Jeff Robinson was solid from Memphis.  Herb Pope, meanwhile, was highly touted but hasn't really developed his consistent scoring touch (he can board well, though), and Keon Lawrence is still a defensive specialist at best.

None of these guys played in the NCAA tourny, ever

Monmouth coaching staff confirms Taylor is looking for more of a challenge.

Also Peter I'd say Keon is more of a chucker than anything. Anything mentioning his name and defense is fiction lol.

Every player is different. He might be Bangura. He might be a budding star.

Apparently the AD will not let him go to Rutgers

http://blogs.app.com/hawks/2010/05/28/mu-mens-hoops-mcneil-in-calloways-corner/

 McNeil (Monmouth AD) said she was “very disappointed” in Travis’ decision to leave and made
him aware of that when Taylor and his family met with her and Calloway at Monmouth
Thursday.

    “Travis didn’t have much to say,” McNeil said. Efforts to contact Taylor by the
Asbury Park Press via his cell phone have been unsuccessful.

     â€œHis family felt it was important to him to transfer so that he could hone his
career for the NBA,” McNeil said.

    She said she also met with Taylor and his family in January after the player was
suspended.

    “During the suspension they talked about how important team was and how they felt
they let his teamates down and how they were unhappy with his decision (that caused him
to be suspended).

    “And they said that team and loyalty was extremely important. And (since then) the
conversation changed pretty quickly.”

   McNeil said she would not grant permission to any school on Monmouth’s schedule next
season – a schedule that includes a visit by Rutgers to the MAC – to contact Taylor
about transferring.

Monmouth coaching staff confirms Taylor is looking for more of a challenge.

Also Peter I'd say Keon is more of a chucker than anything. Anything mentioning his name and defense is fiction lol.

The Seton Hall guys seem to think he's a good defender.  I missed all of those games with Mizzou and with Seton Hall, and was going easy on him since he's your boy!  I think he's a terrible baller - kind of like Corey Chandler, the kind of guy who lit up high school, went high major, and might not be worth a damn.  I head a guy is transferring from a major conference school and I take it with a grain of salt.  If there's not a coaching change, good players who are getting time don't often pick up and leave.  Unless their coach really sucks.

From the stats - looks interesting.  6'7, 200 pounds, took 5 3-pointers and missed them all - which may mean he has a little range but not enough touch (though he hit 65% of his free throws, which doesn't lead me to believe he's a 3-point bomber waiting to happen). 

Why are you trying to analyze five three pointers that you didn' even see?  A guy that logs that many minutes is bound to be putting up a handful of three's to beat the the shotclock or the buzzer.

Let's pass on this kid.

Quote from: peter on May 28, 2010, 01:44:46 PM

From the stats - looks interesting.  6'7, 200 pounds, took 5 3-pointers and missed them all - which may mean he has a little range but not enough touch (though he hit 65% of his free throws, which doesn't lead me to believe he's a 3-point bomber waiting to happen). 

Why are you trying to analyze five three pointers that you didn' even see?  A guy that logs that many minutes is bound to be putting up a handful of three's to beat the the shotclock or the buzzer.

Let's pass on this kid.

Why?

Well, Marillac, it's a message board, and I thought that was interesting. 

5 is a lot of last-second heaves to count as 3-pointers.  It really is.  Show me another player who has little range who takes more than 2 half-court heaves.  I'm saying it MAY mean that he thinks he has range, or is developing range.  I don't know definitively, nor do I know about his athleticism.  But the numbers give a sense of the player he is. 

Interestingly, his percentages were a little worse in conference play.

EDIT: Took a 10 look at the play-by-play data.  None of his threes beat the half or final buzzer.  At least two of the shots are end-of-shot clock attempts, but the fact that he would take them speak to the idea that he might think he can shoot.  Against Monmouth and Bryant, however, he jacked up the shot in 8 seconds and 6 seconds, respectively, of the shot clock reset.

Quote from: Marillac on May 30, 2010, 05:51:09 PM

Quote from: peter on May 28, 2010, 01:44:46 PM

From the stats - looks interesting.  6'7, 200 pounds, took 5 3-pointers and missed them all - which may mean he has a little range but not enough touch (though he hit 65% of his free throws, which doesn't lead me to believe he's a 3-point bomber waiting to happen). 

Why are you trying to analyze five three pointers that you didn' even see?  A guy that logs that many minutes is bound to be putting up a handful of three's to beat the the shotclock or the buzzer.

Let's pass on this kid.

Why?

Well, Marillac, it's a message board, and I thought that was interesting. 

5 is a lot of last-second heaves to count as 3-pointers.  It really is.  Show me another player who has little range who takes more than 2 half-court heaves.  I'm saying it MAY mean that he thinks he has range, or is developing range.  I don't know definitively, nor do I know about his athleticism.  But the numbers give a sense of the player he is. 

Interestingly, his percentages were a little worse in conference play.

EDIT: Took a 10 look at the play-by-play data.  None of his threes beat the half or final buzzer.  At least two of the shots are end-of-shot clock attempts, but the fact that he would take them speak to the idea that he might think he can shoot.  Against Monmouth and Bryant, however, he jacked up the shot in 8 seconds and 6 seconds, respectively, of the shot clock reset.

I don't even know how to respond.  To suggest that a kid taking (and missing) such a small amount of shots is any sort of indication of his abilities is just ridiculous.  He attempted one three pointer in conference play.  You said 40% of those attempts were end of the shot clock.  Maybe he took one or two because he was wide open? Maybe he thought he was fouled?

Let Rutgers have this kid.  The NEC is the worst conference in the country almost every year.  He is undersized and we just signed a better prospect in Dwayne Polee. 

I don't even know how to respond.  To suggest that a kid taking (and missing) such a small amount of shots is any sort of indication of his abilities is just ridiculous.  He attempted one three pointer in conference play.  You said 40% of those attempts were end of the shot clock.  Maybe he took one or two because he was wide open? Maybe he thought he was fouled?

Let Rutgers have this kid.  The NEC is the worst conference in the country almost every year.  He is undersized and we just signed a better prospect in Dwayne Polee. 

You know how to respond.  You just did! 

Not saying anyone should take a look at this kid, St. John's needs the schollies in other places. And Taylor isn't even all that crisp in his own conference - he just takes a lot of shots.

However, nothing I wrote is in any way ridiculous, Marillac.  I'm putting context to the 2 3-pointers he shot in conference play (and 5 overall) and simply saying that the guess that they were at the end of the shot clock is wrong.  That happens once or twice in a season for a player who doesn't shoot the 3 at all, at best - if you're shooting the three-pointer, somewhere in practice or in your own mind you think you can hit that shot.  You see it differently, and that's fine. 

And this is a small aspect of the kid's game, so we don't need to go on about this.  So put your outrage away.  I'm just putting some possibilities behind the numbers of a kid no one has seen.