Syracuse Priority Target Confidential Update: SG Justin Taylor
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Player: Justin Taylor
Position: Shooting Guard
School: St. Anne's-Belford School (Charlottesville, VA)
Height/Weight: 6-6, 200 pounds
Other Notable Offers: Butler, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, NC State, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Official Visits Scheduled: North Carolina (June 5), Syracuse (June 9), Indiana (June 15)
Scouting Report: "We can break down specifics and stuff, but at the end of the day he's a shot maker," SI All-American's Jason Jordan said. "He's just really crafty, crafty in how he gets his shot off. What I like about him is he doesn't waste movement. He recognizes matchups very well. High basketball IQ type guy. But at the end of the day he's making shots on all three levels. He's going to get to the basket. Really thrives in one and two dribble pull-ups. He's great in the pick and pop. Just knows how to make shots, knows where to get to make shots. Uses his space well and really good with pace as well. I really like his game."
Recruitment: Originally, Taylor indicated he would like to decide by the end of June or early July. Interviews during AAU events suggested he could wait until the July period around Peach Jam. However, the official visits to North Carolina and Syracuse, as well as the Virginia Tech unofficial, have provided some clarity on where his recruitment stands. The original late June/early July timeframe could be back in play. Taylor has one more official left, to Indiana on the 15th. His official to North Carolina and Syracuse went very well. Syracuse's made a big impression about how he would fit in within the culture in addition to on the court. If you are Syracuse, you have to like where you currently stand given the long established relationship and strong official visit. Though with one more official left and recruiting always changing on a dime, you never know. Syracuse's biggest competition is probably Indiana at this point. Indiana is the only school left with an opportunity to wow him on a visit. Unless, of course, he schedules a Virginia visit before the end of the month. The Cavs would then become Syracuse's largest threat.
Why Taylor is Important: Syracuse has been recruiting Taylor extremely hard for quite some time and view him as a perfect fit for its system on both ends. They view him as a player who will have the ball in his hands at Syracuse, dictate offense, be a three level scorer and a difference maker at the top of the zone. He is as important a prospect as there is on Syracuse's 2022 recruiting board. He may be rated as a top 60 type player, but Taylor may be underrated at that. Taylor is extremely talented and the type of player that thrives in Jim Boeheim's system.