Ryan Taylor is one of the top prospects in the nation. The 6-foot-6 forward announced last week that he would be transferring from Indianapolis Lawrence North to Louisville Western to play for coach Paul Handley, who is also the player's uncle. I spoke with Handley about Taylor's game.
Taylor, who committed to play for the University of Louisville in January 2009, averaged 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game last season.
"I'm very excited to have a chance to coach Ryan," Handley said. "It's going to be special to coach my nephew. I've coached cousins before but I've never had the chance to coach a nephew."
Taylor chose Louisville over Cincinnati, Indiana and Purdue. Handley expects Taylor to have a huge impact on his team's success.
"He's going to be a plus for our basketball team," Handley said. "It's going to be good for our basketball team to have someone of his caliber. He's going to make everyone around him better. We are very excited about having him."
Taylor is currently ranked as the No. 91 prospect in the nation according to Rivals. He joins Bowling Green's Chane Behanan and Jeffersontown'sZach Price as the only players from the state ranked in the top 100.
"We have some really good players in the 6th Region but without a doubt I think with Ryan coming it's going to make the region even tougher," Handley said. "We have some good players around him. He's a good offensive player but he's a better defensive player. He's a better person than he is a basketball player. Without a doubt he's not only going to make an impact in the 6th Region but he's also going to make an impact in the state."
Western finished last season with a 13-13 record. With Taylor now in the mix, the Warriors should win more game this season and compete for a 6th Region championship.
