Eleven minutes into the second half of Friday night’s game in Allen Fieldhouse, Coppin State guard Tywain McKee buried a deep three-pointer, and Kansas University freshman Tyshawn Taylor landed on McKee’s foot and collapsed to the floor.
The expression on 16,300 faces said, “Oh no!”
Taylor stayed on the ground for a while, and it wasn’t until the trainer held his left ankle that a sense of relief came over the crowd.
Five games into a Kansas career that has the potential to be remembered as a great one, Taylor already has established serious value to this young team. Taylor did not re-enter the game, but did return to the bench late in the first half.
“It’s a little sore, but it should be fine,” Taylor said before editing himself. “It will be fine.”
Taylor and Sherron Collins form one of the nation’s quickest backcourts, and Taylor looks better by the game.
At halftime of KU’s 85-53 blowout of Coppin State, Taylor was on pace for an accomplishment no Kansas player has achieved: a triple-double.
Even if he hadn’t suffered the ankle injury, Taylor would have fallen short, if for no other reason than the phenomenal ball movement Kansas showed in the first 15 minutes of the game wasn’t sustained. Ditto for the defense that made it so difficult for Coppin State to get a good look at the basket early.
Taylor played a huge part in the Jayhawks’ impressive start at both ends. His long arms and quick feet bless him with two of the most helpful tools for players desiring to become lock-down defenders. For a long stretch of the first half, Taylor exhibited intense concentration, another important defensive tool he hasn’t always displayed.
Taylor drew the assignment of checking Coppin’s best player and leading scorer — McKee, a 6-foot-2 senior from Philadelphia armed with an unorthodox, quick release that makes it difficult to determine when he’s shooting.
McKee scored just three of his 17 points in the first half and was 1-for-9 from the field in the first 20 minutes.
“(Coach Bill Self) wants me to be a good defender,” Taylor said of checking the foe’s top perimeter player. “If he can save Sherron’s legs on defense, he can be more productive on offense. … I like the challenge.”
Also mark it down as the most tidy game of Taylor’s career. He had six assists, one turnover and not a single charging foul. Coming into the game, Taylor had eight assists and 11 turnovers. He said assistant coach Joe Dooley brought that unfavorable ratio to his attention, thereby motivating him to correct it immediately. Done.
Taylor talks about Dooley the way KU’s big men talk about Danny Manning, which is to say the way a young basketball player should talk about an ex-player now earning a living teaching the game. He talks about him with reverence, taking every word as gospel.
When Dooley told Taylor he was too nonchalant when practicing his shooting, Taylor took it to heart, hit the court earlier than usual and tried to simulate game speed when shooting. It worked. Taylor made two of three three-point shots and all four of his free throws.
Quick and coachable generally makes for an exciting combination.