Visits mean a lot for Taylor

Rivals150 guard Tyshawn Taylor did something in July that most nationally-ranked players don't do. He went to work.

The 6-foot-3, 160-pound senior from St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City, N.J., shined at the Rbk U camp and then shut things down.

Taylor opted to stay off the national circuit in order to put some cash in his pocket and help out the youth in northern New Jersey. Taylor was a counselor at a summer camp in Jersey City. It was his second year of working with the elementary kids.

Why not go to Las Vegas or Orlando? Simple. The top 25 point guard in the class of 2008 shined at the well attended Rbk U camp and had an important role with his St. Anthony's summer league team.

Priorities, he says.

"When the other guys were playing in AAU tournaments, I was in the weight room at my school and working out," Taylor said.

And learning a little patience with the kids.

"It gets kind of tiring running around with a bunch of little kids all day but it's fun to watch them grow up and teach them some things," Taylor said.

Working the kids instead of working the circuit is a snapshot of Taylor's personality. He gets it. The three-star floor general has been indoctrinated by one the game's best teachers in Bob Hurley at St. Anthony's so when Taylor went to the national camp, he was a little out of place from the start.

"I felt out of place because I'm not a guy that is going to just shoot and shoot and shoot. I came out there with a different approach," he said. "I wanted to get my team involved and I want to win. Whether it is a camp or an all-star game or a pick-up game, whatever, I want to win. So I came out there with that mentality. I did that and we played as a team at the camp and we won the championship and the all-star game. We were clicking. I accomplished my goals there."

After the camp, Taylor admitted that his recruitment blew up. Missouri, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Kansas, Virginia, Georgia Tech, St. John's, St. Joe's, Marquette and West Virginia all offered and came up to see him with St. Anthony's summer league team.

"It's kind of confusing just because everyone came at me at one time. Its like, 'Whoa!' I don't know what to do," Taylor said. "I want to take some visits and talk to coach Hurley because he knows a lot about each coach and each system. He knows how my game is and how I play. That's why I wanted to talk to him about each situation and each team. Then I'll go from there."

Taylor said he'd like to set up his official visits before Sept. 10, the first day of school. Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech are looking like two schools that will get a visit, Taylor said. The other three programs that will get a visit are still up in the air.

"I can't really say who is a favorite because all of the schools on my list have offered me a scholarship so I have look at all of them the same way. Everyone is saying the same thing. They are saying I can play early. I can play my game. I can do this and that. If all of that is true, then it's going to be hard to trim it down. That's why the visits are going to have a big impact. I'll be able to see what makes the one school stand out," Taylor said.

"I want to go to a school where I can get the ball and just play. I think that is why I had some success at the Reebok camp because we just got the ball and ran simple things like pick and rolls. I don't want to go to a school where I have to sit on the bench. I definitely want to go to a school where I can play. That doesn't mean I have to start but that would be a plus. I want to get minutes and play."

Taylor said he wants to take all five visits but didn't rule out waiting until after his senior season before making his decision.