Note: To look back on summer workouts and ahead to fall practice, GoldandBlack.com is taking a player-by-play look at the Purdue basketball team's 10 scholarship players this week. We were going in alphabetical order, but just screwed things and now we're out of alphabetical order. Now, it's pure chaos. Up: JacQuil Taylor
You really never know this time of year because sometimes players surprise you or needs become clearer with time, but if you ranked Purdue's freshmen 1 through 5 in terms of readiness to play right away, JacQuil Taylor would come in fifth.
Does that mean he is absolutely redshirting? No. We talk about that stuff long before it's relevant. Coaches keep open minds about such things, or at least try to, especially Purdue's, though Matt Painter has made his affinity for redshirting clear, or at least his affinity for not wasting a player's freshman season.
From the handful of summer workouts we attended, Taylor didn't seem limited by the remnants of the foot injury he suffered in high school, and that seemed like a positive. Taylor said himself that recurring discomfort adversely impacted his senior season in high school.
The wiry frontcourt player's biggest deficit lies in size and strength. He's skinny.
That doesn't mean he can't play. It just means there are things he'll have to overcome early on playing in a league noted for physical play.
Strength will be important for Taylor since he projects as someone who's going to have to play around the rim, obviously. But he does have other physical gifts that can help offset what he's lacking there if he has to play early.
He is tall as advertised, probably every bit of the 6-foot-9 he's listed at. He's has length, that dimension that can make a player a little bit taller in practical terms than they actually are. And he is very athletic, something Purdue doesn't otherwise have among its posts.
Taylor's offensive capabilities right now looked to have a lot to do with his athleticism, but I personally was a little bit surprised on Day 1 of workouts months ago how comfortable he looked shooting mid-range jumpers.
But he looks like a more defensive-equipped player than offensive right now. His athleticism and length around the basket are obviously good things to have and he's always prided himself on being a shot-blocker.
Thing is, where does he play?
Always figured he'd work his way into being an undersized center at Purdue. He's not right now, from a physical perspective, although the Boilermakers have played small there before, but for the purpose of skill-based matchups, which wouldn't apply here.
Taylor will probably be a 4 man to begin with. Remember how it went two seasons ago when Donnie Hale and Jacob Lawson were playing the 4? It hurt Purdue on offense, for one thing. Yes, those were two different players than Taylor and obviously had some limitations as players that led to their early departures, but from a sheer skills perspective, they wouldn't seem like entirely inappropriate case studies.
(I am not comparing Taylor to Donnie Hale and Jacob Lawson.)
Purdue in a perfect world wants skill at the 4, the ability to create matchups with a player who can drive, shoot and pass, especially pass. At the very least, Purdue doesn't want a black hole at the position in terms of making decisions and moving the ball around. Vince Edwards would seem well equipped for what Purdue is looking for in that sense and it'll give him a chance to play a lot this season.
The 4 is going to be an interesting sorting-out. Edwards is coming in. Basil Smotherman is back, but could he see some playing time on the wing, too? He's a good enough athlete to do it and should - should - be capable of defending out there. Rapheal Davis has played so much 4 the past few seasons, and played some of his most productive basketball there. He's someone Purdue will need on the floor a lot this season, somewhere.
At center, even if Taylor could be used there,
So where does Taylor fit in anyway?
Don't know.
Time will tell for a player who's been a long-range investment from Day 1 and still looks to be.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
You really never know this time of year because sometimes players surprise you or needs become clearer with time, but if you ranked Purdue's freshmen 1 through 5 in terms of readiness to play right away, JacQuil Taylor would come in fifth.
Does that mean he is absolutely redshirting? No. We talk about that stuff long before it's relevant. Coaches keep open minds about such things, or at least try to, especially Purdue's, though Matt Painter has made his affinity for redshirting clear, or at least his affinity for not wasting a player's freshman season.
From the handful of summer workouts we attended, Taylor didn't seem limited by the remnants of the foot injury he suffered in high school, and that seemed like a positive. Taylor said himself that recurring discomfort adversely impacted his senior season in high school.
The wiry frontcourt player's biggest deficit lies in size and strength. He's skinny.
That doesn't mean he can't play. It just means there are things he'll have to overcome early on playing in a league noted for physical play.
Strength will be important for Taylor since he projects as someone who's going to have to play around the rim, obviously. But he does have other physical gifts that can help offset what he's lacking there if he has to play early.
He is tall as advertised, probably every bit of the 6-foot-9 he's listed at. He's has length, that dimension that can make a player a little bit taller in practical terms than they actually are. And he is very athletic, something Purdue doesn't otherwise have among its posts.
Taylor's offensive capabilities right now looked to have a lot to do with his athleticism, but I personally was a little bit surprised on Day 1 of workouts months ago how comfortable he looked shooting mid-range jumpers.
But he looks like a more defensive-equipped player than offensive right now. His athleticism and length around the basket are obviously good things to have and he's always prided himself on being a shot-blocker.
Thing is, where does he play?
Always figured he'd work his way into being an undersized center at Purdue. He's not right now, from a physical perspective, although the Boilermakers have played small there before, but for the purpose of skill-based matchups, which wouldn't apply here.
Taylor will probably be a 4 man to begin with. Remember how it went two seasons ago when Donnie Hale and Jacob Lawson were playing the 4? It hurt Purdue on offense, for one thing. Yes, those were two different players than Taylor and obviously had some limitations as players that led to their early departures, but from a sheer skills perspective, they wouldn't seem like entirely inappropriate case studies.
(I am not comparing Taylor to Donnie Hale and Jacob Lawson.)
Purdue in a perfect world wants skill at the 4, the ability to create matchups with a player who can drive, shoot and pass, especially pass. At the very least, Purdue doesn't want a black hole at the position in terms of making decisions and moving the ball around. Vince Edwards would seem well equipped for what Purdue is looking for in that sense and it'll give him a chance to play a lot this season.
The 4 is going to be an interesting sorting-out. Edwards is coming in. Basil Smotherman is back, but could he see some playing time on the wing, too? He's a good enough athlete to do it and should - should - be capable of defending out there. Rapheal Davis has played so much 4 the past few seasons, and played some of his most productive basketball there. He's someone Purdue will need on the floor a lot this season, somewhere.
At center, even if Taylor could be used there,
So where does Taylor fit in anyway?
Don't know.
Time will tell for a player who's been a long-range investment from Day 1 and still looks to be.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
