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Player Outlook - Taylor Brown

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I disagree with this prediction for good reason...I think Taylor has the potential to be a special player his length and athleticsm is what got him minutes along with work ethic..
If he improves his outside shot no freshman will take away playing time..He has great nose
for the ball around the basket and he already knows the system he is an important piece
in this years BU success....
 
Gotta agree with Toyota on this one. I think Taylor has the highest ceiling of any of the freshman from last year. Jim Les has historically liked to play small and more athletic at the 4 position, so I think Taylor will be taking at least 20 minutes a game there. If he develops even a servicable outside shot and hits the weight room hard over the summer, we have another Theron Wilson type player in the making.
 
I also have to disagree a little............although I appreciate the coverage of BU and I think you are doing a really, really great job, Joe!

"Guard Andrew Warren will see most of his time as a small forward"
-----I would be quite surprised if this happens, as Andrew Warren has never played a forward position in his life. Also, there will decent guard minutes for Andrew to fill as Darian is gone and Sam M., Eddren, and dodie don't need to be on the floor 30+ minutes per game.

-----BU often plays with 3 guards at once, so no need for AW to play a forward spot, and that still leaves at least two spots for frontcourt players, with TB having more court experience and career playing minutes than anyone else excpet Sam Singh!

-----as we saw with Theron Wilson, an active, athletic, 6-6 guy who can get to the hoop and rebound is a very valuable commodity.

----- "he'll get pushed around in the paint"
huh, uh...I don't think so... wait 'til you see Taylor...he has bulked up and he is strong. There might be someone in the Valley that can push him around, but maybe only one now that Eric Coleman is gone.


----- "He's a man without a true position or role"
I can't quite figure this one out.....as he sure isn't a center and he's never fooled anyone into even thinking he might be a guard.
So he is about the most prototypical college forward you can think of. He might be able to handle both the 3 and the 4 position, but nobody in the Valley will have trouble identifying the position he plays.
If Taylor is a man without a position, then what were David Thirdkill, JJ Anderson, and Aba Koita?
 
Good work, Joe.

But I also disagree with a couple things.

You said
He's a man without a true position or role, but Brown plays hard and was a pleasant surprise last year with his energy. Despite his maturation and liveliness, it isn't likely he'll improve much on his numbers from last season.
Click to expand...

Taylor Brown is the closest thing Bradley has to the type of player Theron Wilson was.... a guy who overachieves at his height, and gets his fair share of rebounds, but is capable of scoring inside and outside. If he works hard enough, I see Taylor's minutes going up more than anyone else on the team, since Theron is gone. We know Coach Les likes this type of player, so I expect Taylor to play and contribute a lot next year, and I would be really surprised if he doesn't show great improvement in his scoring and rebounding numbers.


You said-
The Braves have two freshman forwards in Milos Knezevic and Jordan Prosser, who will cut into Brown's minutes. Guard Andrew Warren will see most of his time as a small forward, potentially leaving Brown as the odd man out.
Click to expand...

I don't see Milos or Prosser as the same type of players at all, and I don't think they will take many minutes away from the returning guys like Taylor Brown.

Theron averaged 30 minutes a game for the last 2 years, so that is a lot of minutes to fill in, and surely Taylor will get a lot of those minutes.

Taylor Brown's stats show he scored 3.4 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 11.5 minutes per game. Those rebounds are the best on the team on a per minute basis.
http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19334&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1626619
 
Toyota12 said:
I disagree with this prediction for good reason...I think Taylor has the potential to be a special player his length and athleticsm is what got him minutes along with work ethic..
If he improves his outside shot no freshman will take away playing time..He has great nose
for the ball around the basket and he already knows the system he is an important piece
in this years BU success....
Click to expand...



Agreed. With his athleticism and nose for the ball (plus added bulk), I can see him as our top rebounder if he gets the minutes.
 
Great coverage on the Braves. I also don't really agree though... Taylor is very, very athletic, and if he can improve his free throw shooting to the 70%-80% range, he will score lots of points for us. I anticipate him getting lots of and-1's this year.
 
I agree with most posts here about TB, but I also think that TB's role on this year's team is a bit up in the air and dependent on the development of other players. Specifically Will Egolf, Jordan Prosser. I realize that WE and JP are not in direct competition with TB, but if one of these players comes through which I think is a strong possibility, then that is one less spot in the lineup for TB. And then there is Chris Roberts.... How Milos fits in is an unknown at least to me so I will leave him out of this. Personally, I would like to see AW as a 2 but understand Joe's reasoning for AW as a small forward as JL seems to like the small guard line up. (EM and SM) Starting SM as a 2 also gives us another three point threat with AW.
I think that for this coming season, TB's role will be as a sixth man at the start of the year who will take minutes away from CR by the end of the season.
 
if nothing else...the better depth we now have in the frontcourt with TB, JP, Milos, Sam Singh, and AT gives us a little buffer against the injury bug...
and it isn't a stretch (since it's happened each of the last several years) to think that injuries will determine playing time more than we'd like!
 
I could see TB being a starting 3 or 4 depending on the rest of the lineup. He can handle the ball and shoot from outside and get to the basket.....lots of possibilities.....
 
Joe, serious question: how closely do you follow the Braves? It's a treat to read your coverage of the Braves but I'm surprised to hear that anyone who watched BU last year could think Taylor Brown is going to do anything but get better. The kid has NBA bloodlines and, while that doesn't always translate into success, he is a rare athletic breed in the MVC and, just as importantly to Coach Les, a guy who busts his tail. Les tends to reward those who work hard and perform.
 
Missouri Brave said:
Joe, serious question: how closely do you follow the Braves? It's a treat to read your coverage of the Braves but I'm surprised to hear that anyone who watched BU last year could think Taylor Brown is going to do anything but get better. The kid has NBA bloodlines and, while that doesn't always translate into success, he is a rare athletic breed in the MVC and, just as importantly to Coach Les, a guy who busts his tail. Les tends to reward those who work hard and perform.
Click to expand...

I 100% agree.

There were a few times TB looked lost but man there were times he just played very well and with more importantly confidence. But regardless the guy played hard, and was not afraid. Out of everyone on our team his ceiling is the highest. TB rebounded, got to the line, was not afraid to shoot, he will be a big factor on this team this season, regardless of what freshman are arriving.
 
Special players

Special players

Every few years a special player shows up and plays on the hilltop. Some of them go on to a very talented future at Bradley or somewhere else and some fall victim to other outside influences. Parker, O'bryant, Hawkins, Phegley, Anderson just to name a few of the ones that made it. Taylor Brown is one of those special players. He just needs to put forth the effort and follow the leadership of JL if he does watch out MVC. If not he will end up on this board someday as a what if thread. Along with Granger, Thurman and some of the other wasted talent. Personally I think he will be a supporting member this year that will show spurts of " WOW !!! did you see that " and will brake out as a team and conference leader his junior year. Taylor has the talent and potential, no doubt.

and thats my 2 cents
 
Sorry Joe...I have to agree with my fellow posters. Taylor Brown is gonna be something special. He has all the tools and from what we hear...the desire.

I don't remember what game it was...but TB drove to the hoop, elevated, and then pulled off a beautiful reverse layup that faked the crap out of the two defenders around him - reminded me of watching Jordan.

Now I'm not saying he is the second coming but that play was enough to prove to me that "Peaches" has something extra.
 
LG281 said:
Sorry Joe...I have to agree with my fellow posters. Taylor Brown is gonna be something special. He has all the tools and from what we hear...the desire.

I don't remember what game it was...but TB drove to the hoop, elevated, and then pulled off a beautiful reverse layup that faked the crap out of the two defenders around him - reminded me of watching Jordan.

Now I'm not saying he is the second coming but that play was enough to prove to me that "Peaches" has something extra.
Click to expand...

I remember that game. It was in the MVC tourney, either the SIU or UNI game. Remember thinking, "whoa! what was that?!"
 
TB will start at the 4! He is arguably the most athletic guy we have and that is saying a lot with CR hanging around. If he works on his mid-range baseline jumper and adds a few pounds of muscle, watch out! The only reason he did not play more was because he played behind TW. He had one season practicing against TW and getting to know the system so I expect big time basketball from him this coming season. It would not surprise me that he leads the team in rebounds and second in scoring.
 
Taylor is better than your report indicated. Let us put what he did in perspective. Acording to Shuanguth's Production per 40 minutes thread last updated on 4/3/09 here is how Taylor ranked:

Points.......5th
Rebounds...1st
Assists.......4th
turnovers...6th...2nd among forwards and centers
blocks........4th
steals.........6th
min/foul.......3rd

As these numbers show, when he got the minutes he produced.

Keep in mind that Taylor did this as a freshman who sat out of basketball the previous year. We also all know how making the jump to D1 basketball can be a real adjustment for some. I would expect TB to be even better with his freshman adustment year behind him.

Also realize that the only reason TB didn't play more than the 9 minutes per game was that he played behind TW who was a senior and 1st team all-MVC.


Make no mistake, this kid can play. He will get his chance this year and it sounds like he is doing the off season stuff needed to really shine.
 
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