Providence Recruiting

2011 PG STEVIE TAYLOR LOVES PROVIDENCE

Friars host OH point guard prospect over the weekend on an unofficial visit

by RAY MERNAGH

Stevie Taylor is a pure point guard out of Lincoln High School in Gahanna (OH) who has played AAU for All Ohio Red and the Cleveland Basketball Club this past summer. Stevie is scat-quick at 5-8/5-9 with a complete understanding of how to play the game from the point guard position as well as the ability to hit runners/teardrops in the lane that make a player like him even more effective. He also shoots the ball very well from deep.

Taylor talked to us last night about his visit last weekend to Providence.

“It was a great visit,” said Taylor, “the campus and city are really unique and beautiful, plus I got to hang out with the team and coaches and understand the academic side of things.” Taylor says he has a final three already of Ohio, Akron and Providence. The Friars told Taylor they see him as a pure point guard that could run their up and down style very well.

“Of course,” Taylor replied when I asked him if playing in the Big East is attractive to him, “everybody wants to play at the highest level and the Big East is no joke, it’s the real deal.” Providence’s style would be a perfect match for Taylor at that level as it would accentuate his quickness with the ball and instinctive ability to make the right play. This kid is flat-out a really good basketball player capable of being a team’s guiding hand for three years (think Cal’s Jerome Randle, the best point in the Pac 10 and you pretty much see how Taylor’s game will translate to a team that goes up and down). Like Randle, Taylor has one big school on his final list. Randle had Tulsa and Cal. Safe to say, five years later, a lot of schools would go back and try to change that if they could.

It says here the same will be true for Taylor should he opt for the Big East. The question is will he?

I think he will if all works out and both parties think it’s a fit. Again, Taylor is a 2011 guard so he has time. Providence is coming to town to see him in the very near future. Providence assistant Chris Davis seems to have a knack for spotting talent that will flourish in Keno Davis’ style so its no surprise he’s the lead guy on Taylor. Taylor says he’s focusing on getting stronger. “I’m really concentrating on that because I need to add some muscle for the next level.”

Taylor promised to keep us in touch with what he’s thinking after the Friars come to Ohio and visit him.

Stay tuned.

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