Recruiting Report: Landon Taliaferro (2016)
Landon Taliaferro has been stirred to test himself. As a freshman at Shining Mountain, Taliaferro averaged 9.2 points for a Lions team that finished as the Class 1A runner-up. He thrived early but thought, with his basketball dreams and despite…
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Continue ReadingLandon Taliaferro has been stirred to test himself.
As a freshman at Shining Mountain, Taliaferro averaged 9.2 points for a Lions team that finished as the Class 1A runner-up. He thrived early but thought, with his basketball dreams and despite the fact he praised Shining Mountain as a great school, his skills needed to be challenged elsewhere. His good friend Garrett Turner, an outstanding guard at Boulder (2015 graduate), convinced Taliaferro to transfer to Boulder for his sophomore season.
Now in his final high school go-around, Taliaferro has come a long way. From being a guard who mostly played junior varsity two years ago, one who could put the ball in the hoop but was limited defensively, the senior has blossomed into a 6-foot-4 and 180-pound two-way talent.
Sure, offense, more than anything, is still Taliaferro’s forte. He’s the team’s leading scorer at 16.3 points per game. When he’s feeling it, he can burn defenses in a number of facets.
“Landon is a jack of all trades,” first-year Boulder head coach Jack Clarke, a long-time assistant with the program, said. “He can attack it, he can shoot it, he can go the post, we can put him on the wing, he can create for himself and he can create for others. He understands slow to fast pretty well. He gets himself a lot of catches and a lot of looks. Offensively he’s extremely gifted.”
Taliaferro has shot the ball with Stephen Curry-like efficiency as a senior, 61 percent from both the field and the three-point line (20-of-33). He’s also a perfect 14-of-14 from the free-throw line.
The No. 1 scoring option for a Panther team expected to contend for the Front Range League crown, sitting pretty with a 5-2 record that includes wins over Grandview, George Washington and Aurora Central, Taliaferro can be counted on defensively as well.
“Over a two year period, he’s gone from an offensive/defensive substitution to a guy who is on the floor in key minutes and key situations,” Clarke said. “He’s got good enough size, he’s strong enough and he’s good enough with the ball that he’s a college basketball player. He’s got to find the right fit.”
Taliaferro, who says his GPA is hovering around 3.1, has received an offer from Fort Lewis College, a Division II program in Durango. He’s also gotten looks from Army and North Florida.
“I’ve always had my mindset on D-I,” he said. “That would be great. I’m shooting for that, but whatever school fits me best, that’s where I want to go. I’m pretty open-minded.”
Taliaferro said he’s looking to improve his overall athleticism and says ball-handling and defense can always be worked on. His coach says Taliaferro can also elevate his game as far as further understanding the intricacies and nuances of basketball.
From small school to big school hoops, Taliaferro has made a name for himself on the grassroots circuit with the Colorado Titans and at Boulder High as one of the top players in Northern Colorado.
“As he continues to grow and mature, I think his best basketball is ahead of him,” Clarke said
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