Tyshawn Taylor commits to KU

By Gary Bedore     Apr 29, 2008

Tyshawn Taylor, a 6-foot-3 senior point guard from St. Anthony HIgh School in Jersey City, N.J., today orally committed to Kansas University.

Taylor, who defines himself as a “winner,” said he simply could not pass up the opportunity to play for coach Bill Self’s Jayhawks, who earlier this month won the 2008 NCAA championship.

“I’m the only player who can say he’s going from the high school national championship team to the college championship team. I think it’s pretty cool I can say that,” Taylor said Tuesday after orally committing to

KU over Georgia Tech.

Taylor, who led St. Anthony to a 32-0 record and USA Today’s mythical national championship, recently was released from his letter-of-intent with Marquette

after coach Tom Crean bolted the Milwaukee school for Indiana.

“I’m really happy,” said Taylor, who averaged 10 points and five assists a game in leading St. Anthony to the Jersey state title. “My visit to Kansas (last week) was incredible. The basketball atmosphere is crazy there. I come from a high school where basketball is everything. I’m going to a college where it’s the same thing. I think that is what I need.”

Taylor chose KU over runnerup Georgia Tech.

“Nothing against coach (Paul) Hewitt’s program. They have a great team as well,” Taylor said. “I just felt like Kansas was the right place for me. Coach (Bill) Self and all the coaches and the players made me feel comfortable. People there are still celebrating the championship. It’s something I want to be part of.

“I think I can come in and compete for playing time,” he added. “I would not have chosen Kansas if I didn’t think I could play. But whatever school I chose, I’d

have to earn it.”

St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley was thrilled for Taylor. “He just informed me he’s ready to join the Jayhawks,” Hurley said. “This is a very unusual situation. Here’s a kid who played for the national championship team in high school going to the national champions in college. I know he’s very excited and we’re excited for him.”

Taylor, who will sign a financial aid agreement upon arriving at KU (players can only once sign a letter of intent), said he’ll be attending the first session of summer school.

——-11:46 a.m.——-

Tyshawn Taylor, a 6-foot-3 senior point guard from St. Anthony HIgh School in Jersey City, N.J., today orally committed to Kansas University.

Taylor, who averaged 10 points and five assists a game in leading St. Anthony to the Jersey state title, chose KU over Georgia Tech.

Taylor visited KU last week after receiving a release from his Marquette letter of intent.

“He just informed me he’s ready to join the Jayhawks,” St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley said today. “This is a very unusual situation. Here’s a kid who played for the national championship team in high school going to the national champions in college. I know he’s very excited and we’re excited for him.”

This commitment bumps the 2008 KU class up to seven names, with as many as eight scholarships open, depending on what Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur decide in terms of the NBA Draft. Both have already entered their names into the draft pool, but neither has signed with an agent.

For more on this story as it develops, stay tuned to KUSports.com and pick up Wednesday’s Journal-World.

2008 KU recruiting class

Tyshawn Taylor – 6-3, 160, G, Jersey City, N.J. (St. Anthony’s HS)

Tyrone Appleton 6-3, 195, G, Gary, Ind. (Harmony Prep/Midland (Texas) College)

Mario Little 6-5, 210, G/F, Chicago, Ill. (Washington HS/Chipola (Fla.) CC)

Marcus Morris 6-8 1/2, 220, F, Philadelphia, Pa. (Prep Charter HS/APEX Academy (N.J.))

Markieff Morris 6-10, 230, F/C, Philadelphia, Pa. (Prep Charter HS/APEX Academy (N.J.))

Travis Releford 6-5, G/F, Roeland Park, Kan. (Roeland Park Miege HS)

Quintrell Thomas 6-8, 235, F, Elizabeth, N.J. (Saint Patrick HS)

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