It’s been a couple days since Syracuse guard Justin Taylor has entered the transfer portal, per Joe Tipton of on3.com.
During his first two seasons with the Orange, Taylor averaged 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. In his sophomore year, Taylor converted five points and four rebounds per contest in all 32 games as a starter.
What leads to Taylor scouring for a spot on another NCAA team?
It seemed like he never got over the hump. Taylor didn’t crack the code or make a leap in his second season that some Syracuse fans thought he might make.
In year one under Boeheim, Taylor withstood his role with SU when he came off the bench and produced quality minutes. He shot 38% from the floor, but Taylor’s highly regarded skill was his 39% three-point shooting.
Taylor’s hand went cold in his second season. He made 30% from beyond the arc and he shot 35% from the field. Both were a somewhat significant drop from a year before. Also, Taylor’s free-throw shooting plummeted from 76% to 65%.
The common response would be that he played more in his second season and it’s normal to see somewhat of a drop in percentages across the board if he records more shot attempts. However, Taylor didn’t take advantage of more opportunities in his sophomore season.
To his credit, Taylor played out of position at power forward this past season thanks to the lack of size SU presented. Still, he couldn’t find his footing.
Taylor made just one more three-pointer in 22 more attempts than the year prior. Additionally, he went 20-31 from the free-throw line versus a 16-21 mark in his first season.
Aside from shooting stats, Taylor remained level-headed and a class act throughout the season. Yes, the on-court performance didn’t come to fruition, but he should be respected for the way he handled himself day in and day out.
