If you questioned that the shooting guard spot is a top priority in USF’s 2021 recruiting efforts, the recent scholarship offers should have made it apparent.
Brian Gregory offered two junior guards, both three-star prospects, on Friday. Jacobi Wright, who BullsInsider.com profiled on Saturday, and Lucas Taylor (Heritage High/Wake Forest, NC). Assistant coach Larry Dixon, who has ties to the Carolinas, has been the main point of contact for Wright and Taylor.
“I’ve been talking to them for a couple of months,” Taylor said of the Bulls’ coaches. “Just building a relationship with them, talking to coach Dixon and the head coach as well for a good solid month I would say. It’s really good with him being from North Carolina and having a lot of connections and things like that. He’s a real personable guy. He’s really easy to talk to about anything, basketball or not, he’s just a really good person to build a relationship with.”
Taylor explained what USF's message has been to him in the early stages of communication.
“I would just say that there’s a need at my position for them. Their guards are going to be seniors next year. So coming in there's a spot for me to work for and play in that kind of, like, guard position and me being able to score on all three levels would help them a lot.”
Listing his height and weight at 6-foot-6, 185-pounds plus a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Taylor sees himself as a big two-guard.
“I would say I’m more of a shooting guard for sure,” he said. “But one thru three, I can play them all. Typically I am more of a shooting guard but I can play one thru three.”
Taylor averaged 21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals this season while earning first team All-Conference and first team All-District honors. Taylor also connected on 40 percent of his three-point attempts. In addition to USF, Taylor holds offers from 15 other programs including Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Providence, East Carolina, Elon, Iona and VCU. He has taken an official visit to Liberty and visited Charlotte, Davidson, East Carolina, Georgetown, N.C. State and Virginia unofficially.
With the NCAA likely to extend the temporary dead period through June 30 Taylor said that USF is “one of the ones for sure” that he wants to visit. He also acknowledged that Caleb Murphy signing with the Bulls caught his attention.
“Yeah, I saw him play on the adidas circuit last year with the Atlanta Celtics,” Taylor said. “I was on 16s last year and our 17s played them so we always watched the 17s. So, I remember watching him, like, two or three times. He’s a really good point guard just like just watching him, the way he creates for his teammates, just kind of opened my eyes a little bit.
“I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to him at all. Hopefully in the future we’ll connect, like once I’m able to go on a visit we’ll definitely connect.”
RUSS’ REACTION
Taylor is a long, athletic and very capable shot maker with great positional size. He has a good feel for the game and some versatility. All of that plus the season he had could very well add up to Taylor making his debut in the Rivals150 when the 2021 player rankings are updated.
