As one of Ohio's biggest jokesters, Taylor carries along a very serious, aggressive side when facing his opponent on game day.
At Monday’s practice, Ohio coach Saul Phillips decided to let his players partake in a competitive game of Wiffle ball.
Yup, Wiffle ball.
While there were a slew of fielders heckling the lanky, uncomfortable batters, one person’s voice stood out the most.
“Being a freshman and being a little immature, you have to make the best of things,” freshman forward Doug Taylor said. “The upperclassmen can be a little serious, so you have to make the most fun on the team.”
Taylor, a 6-foot-8 forward from Northland High School in Columbus, Ohio, missed the majority of his senior season of high school due to a serious knee injury. His personality, however, could be labelled anything but serious.
During the friendly Wiffle ball scrimmage, Taylor hollered to junior Wadly Mompremier that his little niece swung better than he did.
He later attempted to distract junior Drew Crabtree from a pitch as he playfully sang and danced along to “Big Green Tractor” by Jason Aldean, mimicking the country tune.
“It’s fun getting to mess with Drew,” Taylor said. “He always gets frustrated and says something back, so it’s a friendly argument almost every day.”
Even Phillips knows his forward recruit can be a little "out there" sometimes.
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“If you’re trying to go inside Doug Taylor’s head, take a compass and a flashlight because it’s gonna be a long trip,” Phillips said Saturday on Taylor’s play in his first Bobcat appearance.
On game day though, Taylor is different.
In one defensive play against Indiana Tech, Taylor prepared himself by chopping his feet, swinging his arms up in the air and letting out a yell that was audible from the upper decks of The Convo.
“It’s something I like to do to intimidate the other players,” Taylor said about his scare tactic. “They’re not gonna want to shoot with a loud noise all in their face, because they’re like, ‘Hey, this guy is crazy.’ ”
Taylor will likely step in a few times during the course of the season to give juniors Antonio Campbell and Mompremier some time to rest. He could also be active on the offensive glass.
Although Taylor’s comedic side is evident, it can be turned off and on. One thing the Bobcats will always see from Taylor, freshman Jordan Dartis said, is his constant aggression.
“There’s something about him,” Dartis said. “Something that other guys on the floor just don’t want to mess with.”
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