Stevie Taylor, the only fourth-year Bobcat on this year’s men’s basketball team, is ready to lead by example during his senior year
He’s the only player remaining from Ohio’s Sweet 16 appearance in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
He’s played in all but one game for the Bobcats during the past three years.
He’s entering his senior season under his third coach, despite staying at Ohio his whole career.
With his final season set to begin Saturday, Stevie Taylor is ready to lead with a new mentality.
“This is the start of something new. This is the start of my senior year,” Taylor said.
Since stepping on campus, Taylor, a guard from Gahanna, has been providing an energy level few of his fellow competitors can match. Throughout his time as a Bobcat he’s gone from dancing in the middle of pregame huddles and playing as a reserve to being carried off the court after a game-winning shot.
The fan-favorite could inevitably become the winningest Ohio player ever.
“You look around and when I came in none of these guys were here,” Taylor said. “This is what I want. This is something I knew was going to come eventually.”
This season, Taylor will be sporting a throwback to his illustrious career at Gahanna Lincoln High School, where he owns the all-time scoring title with 1,464 points.
After three years of not wearing his old signature headband, he will once again be wearing one on the court this year.
He sported one throughout his high school career when he caught the eye of former Ohio coach John Groce, who recruited Taylor for his contagious enthusiasm for the game.
“I had the mindset like nobody could stop me (in high school),” Taylor said. “That’s the type of mentality I’m bringing to this team.”
Taylor has said he knew Groce wouldn’t be his coach all four years but said he’s thankful to have learned from him, as well as Jim Christian, who coached the Bobcats the past two seasons, and Saul Phillips, Ohio’s new coach.
After Taylor started 24 games last year while splitting time with redshirt senior Javarez “Bean” Willis, the players are going to start alongside each other this year. They plan to pace the Bobcats’ backcourt by playing off each others’ skill sets.
“I think it’s just a testament to how hard we’ve worked, you know,” Taylor said. “We did this for ourselves. It’s our opportunity as seniors to lead this team.”
Despite being a scorer in high school and attempting the third-most shots for the Bobcats last year, Taylor said he’s going to look to play tougher defense that, in turn, should lead to more baskets. That will allow Willis and other Bobcats to play a more significant role as scorers — something Phillips wants because he thinks Willis is one of the best three-point shooters in collegiate basketball.
“It’s good when you have two players that can break down both defenders, and if not both, most definitely one,” Willis said.
Taylor was hindered by a fracture in his leg during the final two months of last season, which has led to Phillips limiting Taylor’s practice regimen throughout the offseason. That, however, has continued to allow him to be a mentor and help younger players after learning himself from former teammates D.J. Cooper and Nick Kellogg.
“Sometimes I get a little upset, but at the same time coach has my best interest in mind, and all he wants is me to be healthy all year,” Taylor said.
Sophomore guard Drew Crabtree walked on the team last year and said he likes learning from Taylor and Willis because they point out things while watching film that others players don’t always notice. That’s especially helpful because Phillips’ new offense involves fewer set play calls and is more focused on the pace of the game.
“(Taylor) picked it up a lot this past summer,” Crabtree said. “With a new coach, he demands more out of us than he did last year. We all take on that mentality and try to get better every day.”
During Saturday’s exhibition in The Convo, the Bobcats found themselves down by double digits midway through the first half. Taylor ended up scoring 15 points in the first half to help cut the deficit on Ohio’s way to a win.
“My job is to lead, and that’s where it all starts,” Taylor said. “If I can do that, my game will take care of itself.”
He didn’t play much during the second half after suffering cramps that Phillips later brushed off as inconsequential after the game.
The first-year coach noted Taylor’s flair for the dramatic and compared his enthusiasm to a pair of NFL players who injured their knees celebrating sacks this season.
“If we had a guy that was going to do that, that’d be Stevie,” Phillips said.
From connecting to his 6,000-plus followers on Twitter to interacting with fans on campus, it’s evident that Taylor is ready to absorb every moment he has left in his collegiate career — and “go out with bang” by playing with his special, unique swagger.
“At the end of the day, I’m just proud to be a Bobcat,” Taylor said.
@chadlindskog
cl027410@ohio.edu
