OFFER EXTENDED! Save $30 off the regular Fantasy Football Commissioner price + get a FREE Draft Kit

The Sports Xchange

OVERVIEW

Taylor's long, hard road to the NBA featured two pit stops in the collegiate ranks and a late arrival in the Developmental League. His performance playing D-Ball coupled with his stellar showing at the Orlando pre-draft camp finds him on the cusp of realizing his dream of playing in the pro ranks.

Taylor was not recruited by the major college ranks coming out of high school, opting for a path that led him to Chipola Junior College. There, he met assistant coach T.J. Otzelberger, who lured Taylor to Iowa State, where Otzelberger presently is an assistant.

Despite receiving All-Big 12 Conference honors, Taylor had several off-field incidents that forced ISU head coach Greg McDermott to suspend and later dismiss his talented point guard from the team. Taylor had pleaded guilty to fifth-degree theft after shoplifting a bottle of cold medicine. He also pleaded guilty to fifth-degree criminal mischief after he vandalized an off-campus apartment.

After Taylor was found guilty for vehicle registration violation and fined, McDermott decided it was best for the guard to seek services elsewhere. Taylor was actually appreciative for the coach's support throughout his issues. "I'm thankful that Coach Mac and everybody tried to get me on track and everything," Taylor said. "It just wasn't the time for me."

McDermott has said nothing but good things about Taylor, and even classified his leaving as "on good terms." During ISU's 2008 victory over Nebraska, Taylor was seen high fiving McDermott during timeouts, sitting by the Cyclones' bench. "I still talk to everybody (ISU coaches and players) because we were a family then and nothing changed," he said. "I'm still going to support Iowa State."

"I've learned that just everything you do, it's business, it's professional, it's the way you must carry yourself besides all the basketball," Taylor said. "I really enjoyed my time at Iowa State. Coach McDermott has a great program, everybody there is great and good and I really enjoyed it. So, I wouldn't mind coming back and getting a degree from Iowa State."

At Marshall High School, Taylor earned All-State honorable mention as a senior after averaging 25.0 points per game, including a season-high 41 points vs. Juneau High. He was also named Milwaukee Public League Player of the Year.

In his first year at Chipola Junior College, Taylor played in 31 of the team's 37 games, averaging 6.9 points, 1.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 0.6 steals per game. He earned All-Panhandle Conference second-team accolades, leading the team to a 33-4 record and a fourth place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament.

As a sophomore, Taylor earned first-team All-Panhandle Conference honors and was rated the 38th-best overall prospect in the JUCO ranks. He averaged 12.5 points, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals in his final season at Chipola, as the squad was ranked first in the nation during most of the season and was finished sixth in the final NJCAA poll. He shot 47.6% from the field and 39.6% from three-point range, leading the team with 57 three-pointers, while making 64.2% of his tosses from the charity stripe.

Taylor transferred to Iowa State in 2006-07, earning All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention. A member of the league's All-Newcomer team, the team's MVP led ISU in scoring (16.0 ppg), assists (4.5), steals (1.1 spg) and three-pointers (77). He ranked 10th in the league in scoring and fifth in assists. He set a school record by making at least one three-point play in 27 consecutive games.

With his off-field troubles leading to his dismissal at Iowa State, Taylor tried out for the NBA's Developmental League in Sacramento. He originally went to get representation with the objective to send him overseas, but when he got the opportunity to play in the D-League, he quickly accepted.

The Idaho Stampede had a vacancy for a backup point guard, signing Taylor for the 2007-08 season. He averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists as the team's sixth man, starting eight of 39 contests. He shot 48.2% from the field and 33.8% from three-point range. He led the team to the league championship, scoring 27 points in the deciding title game.

"It feels really good, it feels wonderful," said Taylor as he put on a D-League Champions hat and t-shirt. "I've never been in a championship situation like this before, and to come in during my first professional season and win a championship kind of captures everything all at once. I'm so excited, I am kind of speechless right now."

Taylor's coach and teammates were quick to give him credit for the major contribution he made. "The one thing about Mike is that he is feisty and always on a positive note," said Stampede coach Bryan Gates. "He just keeps going and going, he never feels like we are out of it, and he never feels that he is out of it. He thinks he can make a play every day of the week."

Taylor was named to the Orlando pre-draft camp first-team after superb performances on the court all week. This furthered the interest from NBA teams, leaving the point guard furiously scheduling workouts with those teams leading up to the draft.

"I feel like I displayed enough talent to put me in the class with the top players in the draft," he said. "I've got 10 workouts set up, mostly in the second round, but there are five or six teams at the end of the first (round) that wanted to see me and called since the end of the camp."

ANALYSIS

Positives: Sorely lacking bulk and strength, but shows an explosive initial burst and drives hard into the lane, drawing and absorbing contact well to get to the free throw line ... Has a long wingspan for a player his size (79-inches), good standing reach (8'2") and super leaping ability (39-inch vertical jump) that helps him compensate for his slight frame ... Needs just a little room to execute high elevation, getting his head well above the rim to put the ball in over taller frontcourt types ... Has good basketball IQ and uses his vision well on pick-and-roll to distribute the ball to an open teammate or just take his man off the dribble and sail to the rim ... Has that fearless, aggressive nature with his inside game, showing no concern for his own safety trying to drive past four- and five-spot players ... Has the court savvy to know when to pull up and fire off his jumper when the defender tries going underneath on the screen plays ... Impressed scouts with his ability to play coming off the bench, as he seems well-prepared, intently studying the defensive schemes, so he can capitalize and get to the basket, even when coming into the game cold ... Shows good touch finishing at the basket and active hands to disrupt the passing lanes ... Move-oriented type of scorer who is very comfortable playing in transition, as few guards have the quickness to stay with Taylor when he runs the open court ... Can step back from traffic, set his feet, elevate and put in a fancy jump shot from either hand ... Needs to work on keeping his release point higher, but shows the range to flip in three-pointers from the perimeter ... Does a nice job of keeping his man off-balance, using crisp stop-and-go action to suddenly pull up and deliver a floater from a few feet away from the rim ... Great slasher attacking the basket from the perimeter, showing the balance and body control to easily weave through traffic ... Has a nice array of head, shoulder and pump fakes to force his man to commit to the air early, as he also displays sudden spin and pivot moves to race past the defender, changing direction in an instant to finish at the rim ... Scrappy rebounder who shows high elevation trying to go for the rebound ... Has very good second jump ability working around the offensive glass ... Still turnover prone and needs to play with a tighter dribble, but has good passing mechanics, doing a good job of distributing the ball out from double teams ... Has good ball handling skills and quick feet pushing the ball up court on the fast break and his ability to move on the open court and find space to create his shot makes him a nice change-of-pace type for an up tempo attack ... Alert to cutters and does a nice job of passing the ball out to slashers that have better ability to finish.

Negatives: Despite playing with explosive speed and good aggression with his inside game, he is woefully frail looking and lacks bulk ... Without added weight, he struggles trying to drive through bigger defenders and fight through screens, having to rely more on his weave and change of direction to slip through traffic to make up for overall strength deficiencies ... Had a long litany of off-field issues at Iowa State and even though his last two coaches vouch for his work ethic and character, some teams might shy away from him because of those past problems ... Sometimes drives so hard into the paint in order to get past the physical defenders, only to resulting in charging or travel calls (results when he does not execute proper steps) ... Seems to be a two-guard trapped in a point guard's body, as he is unselfish passing around the ball, but if he had his preferences, he would much rather shoot than control the ball on the court ... Has blazing quickness on the court, but that sometimes becomes a detriment, as he will get out of control pushing the ball up court and when his dribble gets too high and loose, it invites a defender to disrupt him in the lanes, create a turnover or simply see the ball roll off his fingers, resulting in a high amount of turnovers ... Needs to play with better focus and in control, as he drives wildly into the paint, sometimes hoisting his shot without even scanning for where the rim is (gets into a rhythm where he thinks he's the only player on the court, failing to look for a better open option to take the shot) ... Has the range to connect from the three-point region, but is inconsistent with his release point and needs to keep it much higher, as forward types have had good success blocking his perimeter shots ... Disruptive in the passing lane with his long wingspan, but rather than use his lateral agility to stay in front of his man, he gets a little impatient and will stab at the ball, which will sometimes see him get hit with a foul or the slasher just stepping out of his forward charge to drive to the rim.

Compares To: LOUIS WILLIAMS-Philadelphia ... Like Williams, Taylor might be a better fit at the two-guard spot rather than the point, as he seems to have a good scoring touch, but also because he will lose focus at times on the open court. He is rail-thin and this sees him struggle when fighting off screens. He has good long-range shooting ability, but needs to refine his release point, as he does not follow through well and must also work on setting his feet before firing the ball up from three-point range. He has baggage due to his off-field issues that led to his dismissal from Iowa State, but both his college and D-League coach vouch for his work ethic and character. Still, he gets into trouble when he tries to drive past bigger opponents. While he desperately needs more bulk, the problem there is, his speed is his main asset and the added weight will certainly impact his quickness, sort of leaving him in a Catch-22 situation.

CAREER NOTES

In his only season at Iowa State (2006-07), Taylor's 77 three-point field goals rank sixth on ISU's single-season list and that total also placed him 13th on the school's career record chart ... Set a school record with at least one three-pointer in 27 consecutive games.

2007-08 SEASON

After Taylor was dismissed by Iowa State, he tried out for the NBA Developmental League, signing early in the season with the Idaho Stampede ... Appeared in 39 of 50 games, starting eight contests ... Averaged 27.7 minutes per game, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 566 points (14.5 ppg) ... Made 204-of-423 field goals (48.2%), 47-of-139 three-pointers (33.8%) and 111-of-157 free throws (70.7%) ... Grabbed 136 rebounds (3.5 rpg), including 37 from the offensive glass ... Ranked second on the squad with 168 assists (4.3 apg) and had 49 steals (1.3 spg) to go with nine blocked shots ... Charged with 92 personal fouls and 134 turnovers ... Scored in double figures 26 times and handed out at least 10 assists in three games.

2007-08 GAME ANALYSIS

Hit on 5-of-6 field goals for 12 points and added three assists vs. Anaheim ... Tallied 22 points, making 4-of-6 treys while handing out five assists and registering a pair of steals vs. the Colorado 14ers ... Added 20 points, six assists and five boards vs. Fort Wayne and 19 points with 11 assists and three steals vs. the Bakersfield Jam ... Put in 24 points to go with five boards vs. the Los Angeles D-Fenders and closed out January with 21 points, five steals and 10 assists in the next clash vs. Los Angeles ... Began February with back-to-back 15-point performances vs. Bakersfield and Anaheim, followed by 15 points and eight assists vs. Los Angeles ... Poured in 23 points, grabbed five boards and doled out six assists vs. Utah ... Flipped in 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting while snaring four rebounds vs. Anaheim ... Facing Anaheim the next game, Taylor hit on 11-of-12 free throws while totaling 19 points to close out the month of February ... In back-to-back games vs. Utah, Taylor scored 20 points with six rebounds and seven assists in the first contest, adding 22 points, two steals and five assists in the next ... Had 18-points each in back-to-back games vs. Utah to finish out the month of March ... Tallied a season-high 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting, as he snared four boards and handed out five assists vs. the Tulsa 66ers ... Had 20 points, even though he made just 6-of-19 shots vs. Utah and put in 19 points, despite 7-of-21 shooting from the floor vs. the Bakersfield Jam ... Registered 18 points, hitting on 8-of-12 free throws to go with eight rebounds and two steals vs. the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the opening game of the D-League playoffs ... Closed out his D-League season with a memorable performance, scoring 27 points that included 7-of-10 shooting from three-point range, adding six boards and two assists in a 108-101 victory over the Austin Toros for the league title.

2006-07 SEASON

All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention and a member of the league's All-Newcomer Team ... Recipient of the team's Ralph Olsen MVP Award and was named MVP of the Cyclone Challenge ... Led ISU in scoring, assists, steals and three-pointers (77)...Ranked 10th in the league in scoring and fifth in assists (also ranked 91st nationally in assists)...Scored 495 points (16.0 ppg), making 165-of-439 field goals (37.6%), including 77-of-214 three-pointers (36.0%) and 88-of-129 free throws (68.2%) ... Grabbed 126 rebounds (4.1 rpg) with 140 assists (4.5 apg), 35 steals (1.1 spg) and three blocked shots ... Led the team with nine 20-point performances ... Charged with 89 personal fouls and 126 turnovers.

2006-07 GAME ANALYSIS

Recorded three games with six three-pointers (Minnesota, Lake Superior State, Nebraska), tying for eighth on ISU's single-game charts...Made his Cyclones debut with 22 points, three assists and seven boards vs. UC-Riverside ... Posted a career-high 33 points at Minnesota, scoring 25 points in the second half behind six treys, as his 33 points tied the school mark for most points scored by a first-year Cyclone...Was 6-of-9 from three-point range vs. Lake Superior State, scoring 22 points to go with seven assists to help him earn Big 12 Co-Rookie of the Week honors...Shot 9-of-13 from the floor, including a 4-of-7 performance from beyond the arc, while scoring 24 points at Ohio State...Dished out a career-high eight dimes and scored 21 points vs. Baylor...Tallied 25 points (9-18 FG, 5-10 3FG) at Texas ... Added 18 points and five assists vs. Southeast Missouri and totaled 22 points, three boards and five assists vs. Nebraska ... Generated 21 points, grabbed five boards and had four assists the next game vs. Kansas ... Followed with six rebounds, two assists and 21 points vs. Kansas State ... Added 21 points, eight assists and four boards in the Baylor clash ... Closed out his college career with 18 points, four assists and four rebounds vs. Oklahoma.

2005-06 SEASON

All-Panhandle Conference and All-Region VIII first-team selection at Chipola (Fla.) Junior College, playing basketball for head coach Greg Heiar ... Led the team to a final sixth place ranking in the national polls, as he averaged 12.5 points, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals ... Made 148-of-311 field goals (47.6%), shooting 39.6% from three-point range, leading the team with 57 treys (144 attempts), while making 64.2% of his attemps from the charity stripe (61-of-95) ... Totaled 414 points with 181 rebounds and 117 assists.

2004-05 SEASON

All-Panhandle Conference second-team choice ... Played in 31 of the team's 37 games, averaging 6.9 points, 1.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 0.6 steals per game ... Led the team to a 33-4 record and a fourth place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament.

INJURY REPORT

No injuries reported.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended Marshall (Milwaukee, Wisc.) High School, earning All-State honorable mention as a senior ... Averaged 25.0 points per game that season, including a season-high 41 points vs. Juneau High ... Also named Milwaukee Public League Player of the Year.

PERSONAL

Sociology major ... Son of Carolyn Taylor ... Born 1/21/86 in Chicago, Illinois ... Resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.