Syracuse Has Strong Relationship with Justin Taylor and Family
One of Syracuse basketball's top targets in the 2022 class is St. Anne's-Belfield wing Justin Taylor. The Charlottesville (VA) native has been a priority for the Orange since he was offered last July. Taylor says the communication with Syracuse has been frequent.
"The contact has been the same, very consistent," Taylor said. "Usually coach G-Mac, but I'll hear from coach Boeheim every now and again. We have good conversations. It's just constant communication. Talking about the recruiting side, life, and how much they want me. How I'm their top priority in my class. How they think I can make an impact right away.
"I actually had a really long conversation with him a couple of days ago after they played UVA. That was a good conversation. Obviously they didn't play well against UVA, but just talking through everything. That was good."
The fact that Jim Boeheim is reaching out regularly is further evidence of how much Syracuse has prioritized the versatile 6-6 player. Developing a relationship with him has been important for Taylor.
"Whenever you hear from the head coach, you know that you're a top priority for them," Taylor said. "To hear from him definitely means a lot. It obviously makes it even better because of his resume. He's a Hall of Famer and just all of his basketball knowledge. To hear from him, it gives that much more assurance that I'm a high priority for them. He talks to my mom as well so he's definitely built a connection with my whole family as well. Not just me. It's a lot of fun talking to him and understanding where I could stand with them if I decide to go there."
Syracuse has done a good job developing a bond with Taylor's family in addition to the player himself. Taylor has taken note of that and it has made an impact on his recruitment.
"For me I think it's super important," Taylor said. "It's not just a decision for me. I can tell how important it is when they're reaching out to my family and building that connection with my mom and different family members rather than just talking to me. In the end, I'm going to need their help making the decision and they're going to want to have that connection with the coaches and come to the games. When they are reaching out to my family, it means a lot to them and me just because they're building that connection. Showing how important I am to their program."
Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Marquette, Indiana and North Carolina are the other schools Taylor says are recruiting him hard. He is looking at trimming his list this spring and then deciding at some point over the summer so he can spend his senior season focusing on basketball rather than recruiting.