Taylor, Panthers need good inside job
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Dante Taylor dunks against Villanova in the first half Sunday at Petersen Events Center.
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Dante Taylor's career has not turned out the way he envisioned, and his detractors can argue when he finally bottomed out. It seems a good bet, though, that his two-game stretch in January against Rutgers and Marquette are certainly in the discussion.
Taylor did not score in those games three days apart in mid-January. After being shut out and only contributing three rebounds in 15 minutes in the epic 23-point home loss to Rutgers, head coach Jamie Dixon played him just four minutes the next game against Marquette.
Taylor said there was no verbal message from his coach after that game, but Dixon made his point loud and clear to this McDonald's All-American. He turned to freshman Malcolm Gilbert to play seven minutes in that close loss to the Golden Eagles even though Gilbert is a raw rookie still learning the ropes.
"I just knew I could play better," Taylor said. "I wasn't playing good. I had to step up and help my team in any way I could. Even if I'm not scoring, there's always something out there I can do: get an assist, block a shot, play defense. Just because I didn't score, I tried not to look down on myself, pick myself up and move on."
- Game: Pitt at South Florida.
- When: 7 p.m. Wednesday.
- TV: Root Sports.
Taylor has moved on from that adversity, and he is starting to show signs of improvement. In the past two games, he has 17 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. That might not sound like a lot, but it represented a big spike for this 6-foot-9 junior who had scored just 18 points and pulled down 28 rebounds in the previous six contests.
"He's made some big plays," Dixon said. "He's gotten the ball in the right position. We're getting more penetration. We're getting dump-offs. We're taking better shots, which gives us better opportunities for offensive rebounds. He's playing well."
Taylor was instrumental in Pitt's upset victory last week at West Virginia when he had eight points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. Taylor converted a three-point play early in the second half that gave the Panthers a 10-point lead.
Sunday against Villanova, Taylor had nine points and five rebounds. He had five of those points in a two-minute span in the first half when the Panthers were at the end of a 22-2 run that blew the game open.
"He's a great teammate and an even better friend," said forward Lamar Patterson, who arrived in the same recruiting class with Taylor. "He's improving, getting stronger. He's playing defense, finishing at the basket. He's improving and we expect him to keep getting better.
First Published February 7, 2012 12:00 am
