Brian Taylor II Commits to SIUE Men's Basketball

"We are excited to welcome Brian Taylor Jr. to our Cougar family," said Barone. "He is a great compliment to our Find A Way family. His high character and style of play will allow us to continue to compete for Ohio Valley Conference Championships. His playmaking abilities and athleticism will be beneficial to what we do in our backcourt, both offensively and defensively. Our fans should be excited to add another highly talented local product with college experience."

A versatile 6-foot-4-inch guard, Taylor was a highly-touted, four year prep starter from DeSmet High School in St. Louis. Taylor earned Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Class 5 All-State honors following his senior season where led the Spartans with 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. As a junior, Taylor averaged a team-best 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per while helping to lead the Spartans to a 15-7 record and a spot in the Missouri Class 5 state quarterfinals. Taylor played with Gateway Basketball Club for two years, earning more than a dozen offers.

"Brian is one of the most versatile players I've ever coached," said DeSmet Head Coach Kent Williams. "He can play all three guard spots and has the playmaking ability to create for himself off the dribble and for his teammates. He makes players around him better. He will be a great addition for SIUE."

"I committed to SIUE because of the love they showed me the first time they recruited me," Taylor said. "From the first time I talked to Coach Barone, he had a plan in motion about building a winning program and I saw the progress they made this past year. He wanted me to be a part of that process and he showed me how he could utilize my skills and abilities while helping me become a better player. That is something I want to be a part of and having a good relationship with the coaching staff helps as well. I'm excited to play closer to home in front of family and friends and can't wait to get to work."

Brian Taylor II joins recent signees Jordan Pickett (Belleville, Illinois) and Ethan Yancy (Houston, Texas) in Barone's 2023 recruiting class.

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