Kentucky fans have become very familiar with a shot-blocking presence inside with Anthony Davis, and the trend could continue next season with Willie Cauley and (hopefully) Nerlens Noel.
But what about 2013?
Long athletic bodies like these three do no come around often. BeeJay Anya is another great shot-blocker from the Class of 2013, but another new name could be very under-the-radar: Jimmie Taylor.Taylor, a 6-foot-10 power forward from Greensboro, Alabama, is already drawing comparisons to long, lean shot-blockers like Davis.
“People say I play a lot like Anthony Davis, so I try to compare myself to him. I would say we play similar to each other,” Taylor explained. “My defense is my strength. But my offense is coming along, too.”
Like many great blocking machines, Taylor’s offense is practically raw. However, Davis is proof that the offense can come along.
With his obvious potential, many schools throughout the Southeast have expressed interest in Alabama’s finest for 2013.
Georgetown, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky have all contacted Taylor one way or another. However, he does say three schools are staying in contact the most.
“I would say Georgetown, Alabama, and Mississippi State are recruiting me the hardest. They stay in-touch the most.”
Despite not naming Kentucky, the staff has been quite active as of late, as a response to Noel reclassifying to 2012.
“Coach Orlando [Antigua] came to see me practice the week of Valentine’s Day,” he began. “We email all the time. I’d say we are in contact weekly.”
Throughout the years, John Calipari has been able to recruit the state of Alabama with success, with the names of DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe representing the Commonwealth; the Cats were also very close to getting current Alabama guard Trevor Lacey.
Taylor also has a premium interest in Kentucky, as most recruits do.
“I have a lot of interest in Kentucky. I like the style of play they have, and, of course, Coach [John] Calipari gets players to the NBA. I like it.”
Like Kentucky, Taylor comes from a winning tradition. In fact, last week, he led his Greensboro High squad to an Alabama 3A State Championship. Despite the time given, he will opt to focus on his game rather than take visits.
“I’m going to wait till the fall to take my official visits. Right now, I’m focused on AAU and getting better.”
Could Kentucky steal another great talent out of Alabama?
Time will tell.
Follow Garrett Tucker on Twitter [URL=”https://twitter.com/#%21/GTuckersports”]@GTuckersports[/URL] for more info on Kentucky recruiting.
