- Michigan
So Much Nastiness In Store For Northern Iowa It’s Scary – Taylor First Of The ’23 Mr. BBall Candidates Commits
Grand Blanc junior point guard and 2023 Mr. Basketball frontrunner R.J. Taylor got his college commitment out of the way late last week and chose Northern Iowa.
Taylor (6-0) put on a clinic in the Division 1 state finals, scoring 28 points, hitting 7 of 10 from 3-point land, dishing 4 assists and grabbing 6 boards in Grand Blanc’s 67-58 loss at the hands of Warren De La Salle. As a sophomore, he sheeted 15 points and 5 assists in the Bobcats 45-36 downing of Ann Arbor Huron in the state championship game.
This past winter, Taylor averaged 17 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds per contest. He’s the first commit to Northern Iowa’s Class of ’23 recruiting crop and a two-time first-team AP All-State selection. In addition to Taylor, Detroit UD-Jesuit floor general Sonny Wilson, Grand Rapids Catholic Central combo guard Kaden Brown and Birmingham Brother Rice small forward Curtis Williams appear to be the early favorites for next year’s Mr. Basketball award.
Taylor’s dad, Bob, is a coaching hero in the state of Michigan’s college ranks. The elder Taylor helmed the women’s program at Oakland University and the men’s program at Northwood, while accumulating more than 500 career victories.
Northern Iowa is a Midwest mid-major stalwart out of the Missouri Valley Conference. Head coach Ben Jacobson has led the program to four appearances in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2016. Jacobson’s Panthers finished 19-11 this past winter and earned a bid to the NIT.
Follow Scott Burnstein on Twitter @burneystweets
