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Justin Taylor stood crouched in the left corner behind the 3-point line with Syracuse down six points to then-No. 6 Virginia. Syracuse was vying to keep pace with the Cavaliers under 10 minutes left in the first half, and the Orange were looking to counter a 3-pointer from Isaac McKneely.

Joe Girard III had just passed to Maliq Brown on the right edge of the 3-point line, a bounce pass that allowed Girard to cut and draw a double team. Taylor inched toward the top of the key, as Brown handed the ball back to Girard and cut to the paint. Uncontested, Brown collected the pass while Taylor continued to shuffle into position. Taylor’s man followed the pass, and one of Syracuse’s best spot-shooters drained the open 3 to cut the deficit to one possession.

On the next offensive trip, Brown lost the ball in the paint, but Taylor was right there, though, quickly scampering to the loose ball. He took one dribble to his right, crossed over McKneely and drove down the left side of the lane. Taylor jump-stopped and pump faked, sending McKneely up and over Taylor, and nailed a fadeaway – that completed a personal 5-0 run to put the Orange down 23-22 with nine minutes left. 

“Whether I’m playing 10 minutes or 30 minutes … it’s staying confident and staying ready for the opportunity to come,” Taylor said after the loss.

Taylor finished that game with a season-high 31 minutes after replacing Chris Bell just 43 seconds into the game. Though only averaging 5.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, Taylor has seen his usage increase throughout the season — he’s played at least 26 minutes in three straight games. Taylor is someone the Orange can use down the stretch to help close out Atlantic Coast Conference games, a spark the small forward position has lacked.

This season, Taylor went from being one of the less-touted incoming freshmen off the bench to a dynamic shooting threat. On a team that collects just 25% of its points from beyond the arc, Taylor, a 44% 3-point shooter, has blossomed into an outside threat — one of the team’s only high-volume outside shooters aside from Girard.

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His breakout game was against Bryant. Though SU lost, it became the Justin Taylor show. Prior to Mintz’s first-half ejection that changed the course of the game, Taylor had logged just 52 minutes, scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds. Despite the lack of playing time, Taylor immediately drained a 3 when he entered the game. Afterwards, he told reporters that he was ready for “whatever happens.” 

In an instant, he became the focal point – and he delivered.

“Justin was really good,” head coach Jim Boeheim said after the loss. “Without Benny (Williams), without Judah (Mintz), we’re in a really tough situation, and they both played well.”

Taylor finished the game with a season-high 25 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. He went 3-of-6 from deep and recorded 10 free throws made on 13 attempts, a game high. There have been pockets of usage since that game, an early-career highlight for a guy trying to work his way up a crowded bench featuring Benny Williams, Bell and Brown. Taylor is now averaging nine minutes per game and has played at least 12 minutes in all but four games since the loss to Bryant. However, when he’s sharing a court with Girard and Jesse Edwards, he’s not going to get much attention, Boeheim said.

Girard is Syracuse’s go-to 3-point shooter, so he tends to draw the best defender and a double-team. Taylor, who is 6-foot-6 despite playing forward for SU mostly, doesn’t garner defensive attention from opponents, who tend to hone in on Edwards. Taylor frequently finds himself alone on the outside because his limited minutes haven’t registered him as a genuine shooting threat to opponents. But Taylor and Boeheim know — and have both expressed — that when left open, the guard will make most 3-point shots. 

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He’s only committed seven turnovers and has just 22 personal fouls throughout the season, a reliable alternative to hot-and-cold players like Williams and Bell, both of whom have frustrated Boeheim. Taylor helped the Orange to a comeback win over Notre Dame, contributing 28 minutes and 10 points. 

“He was pretty good out there. He’s a two (guard),” Boeheim said after Syracuse’s second win over Notre Dame. “I like these guys, they’re getting better out there.” 

Boeheim said his goal this season was to get this group — one that featured six freshmen, including Taylor – a chance to get their feet wet in ACC play. He knew they were going to grow over the course of the season and potentially become a successful team. Mintz has quickly established himself as one of the best point guards in the conference. Bell has shown flashes of dynamic play from the wing and remains a starter. Brown played his way into the starting lineup. Taylor has gradually earned more minutes off the bench and capitalized.

Now, Williams, who lost his starting job to Brown against Virginia Tech, has become the forward with the most questions. He missed the game against Virginia for a “personal day,” Boeheim said, and played just seven minutes against Boston College. Boeheim has already shown a quick hook with players like Bell and Brown, especially when they commit costly turnovers or let up close-range shots. Taylor, once a shooting guard that could replace Girard, is now playing alongside both him and Mintz. 

He’s open more often, playing more minutes and grabbing more rebounds as his usage has increased. The freshman is capitalizing on a position in flux for a coach who is trying to see the talent he has on a young team.

“You never really know. It’s just staying ready until coach (Boeheim) calls your name,” Taylor said.

Published on February 6, 2023 at 10:56 pm

Contact Anthony: [email protected] | @anthonyalandt