In the upcoming Saint Mary's of Berkeley basketball season, the spectator should look for number 11 during pregame warm-ups. That number belongs to Isiah Taylor, point guard for the Panthers, who has his familiar IPod ear buds. Zay (what his teammates call him) is rocking to his IPod as he uses music to hype himself up before his basketball games. But more important is what this Panther went through last season.
As a sophomore varsity starter, Taylor was critical in helping the Panthers to a 26-10 record that ended with a 69-51 loss to Price HS (Los Angeles) in the California championship game. However, the season did not start out on such a good note. In the first game against St. Joseph's (Alameda), Taylor hurt his knee that resulted in a slight cartilage tear and a chip bone spur. Initially, this Panther sat out a few games but played the rest of the season through the pain. He opted to get minor surgery at the end of the season to fix his knee. Taylor was still able to average 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.
After the surgery and missing June, Taylor was playing with his Oakland Rebels 16U team. This Rebel team also included Jamil Brown (Oakland High) and Rodney Cook (Bethel High). Taylor says about the experience of playing with such talented players, "It was good playing with Jamil and Rodney because they are both explosive players. Rodney can score in bunches and Jamil is a high flyer that catches anything so it made my job a lot easier."
The Rebels played in the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas and a few events in Los Angeles as well. Taylor's knee injury prevented him from playing at full strength but he was able to gauge the competition and be better prepared for next summer's AAU events.
This Panther, the No. 28 ranked player in the NorCalPreps.com 2012 boys basketball rankings, has been playing basketball since he was six years old. Taylor considers his game to be finesse as he is a smooth operator as a point guard. Panther Coach Manny Nodar says, "Isaiah is a strong ball handler with great court vision. He can get to the basket on any defender and force teams to adjust to his penetration. He also has great shooting range. He is a floor leader. He has great instincts on the court and a fierce competitor."
At 6-foot and 140 pounds, Taylor considers his ball handling and passing to be his best skills. He is efficient with his team's possessions and does not commit many turnovers. At his current size, Taylor realizes that he needs to bulk up to be able to defend against the bigger guards. During the offseason, he hits the weights to bulk up.
Despite having to overcome his knee injury going into his junior year, Cal Poly SLO, Portland, and Washington State are interested in Taylor. This Panther has made unofficial visits to Cal, Portland, UCLA, and UC Davis. Coach Nodar says, "He is a DI level point guard but he has to prove that this year. Because of his knee surgery in spring he was not able to display his true skills during the summer period. He played but was not at full strength. When he is at full strength, look out. His contributions to last year's team made us believers."
Taylor wants to play for a fast pace basketball program such as a run and gun style. This Panther does not have any current geographic restrictions but wants the campus to be of a medium size. Academically, Taylor has a 3.00 GPA and has not taken the SATs yet.
Incidentally, Taylor wears jersey 11 because his cousin, Mondo Surratt, wore that number when Surratt played at Oakland Tech with Leon Powe. Surratt went on to play for the University of Miami and San Francisco State University.
Aside from basketball running in the family, Taylor has shown his mental and physical toughness. As a speedy point guard who depends on his legs, Taylor had to grind it out during the Panther season with that knee injury. He then played with his Rebels club team right after the surgery. Taylor's personal favorite quote is, "It's not the hours that you put in. It's what you put in the hours." This quote is telling of Taylor because of the effort and pain that he has gone through with the knee injury.
Taylor's individual goal is to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists for the Panthers this upcoming season. The team goal is to return to the playoffs and seek a state championship. Taylor will have support from David Andoh and Glenn Baral to achieve both of these goals. Even without those two junior teammates and considering what Taylor went through last year, do not bet against Taylor achieving his goals.
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