Prospect Spotlight: Taylor Ball (2018)
Tri-City Christian is a small basketball powerhouse in Chandler that has been getting a lot of recognition over the past two years because of Brock Gardner, now a freshman at Liberty, and Nigel Shadd, who recently committed to Kansas State. …
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Continue ReadingTri-City Christian is a small basketball powerhouse in Chandler that has been getting a lot of recognition over the past two years because of Brock Gardner, now a freshman at Liberty, and Nigel Shadd, who recently committed to Kansas State. While some may question the level of competition for the small school, you cannot argue against the idea that they are developing talent. One player who figures to step in and help fill the void left by Gardner is Junior Taylor Ball.
Taylor, a 6’3” wing, isn’t the offensive threat that Gardner was, but he can contribute to the team primarily on the defensive end. Taylor sees his main way of contributing this season being on the defensive end, as he talked about having the ability to guard multiple positions. This fits perfectly into the team’s identity this year as the strength of their best player, Shadd, is defense. Ball hopes that this is just the first of two consecutive years that we see major jumps happen, as he has been working hard to improve his game, and even become an offensive threat that eases some of the attention off of the big man inside. With this improvement happening, Taylor was asked his thoughts about playing at the collegiate level.
Taylor has been in contact with NCAA Division 2 and 3 schools thus far and is hoping to find “a program that has coaches that will invest their time developing me on the court and off the court as a person similar to my current coaches at Tri-City”. He also credits Gardner for helping to mentor him and showing him what it takes to be a college player. After seeing him at the Prep Hoops Top 250 Expo last month, it was obvious that Taylor has made some big strides in his game, and with his work ethic, this should only be the beginning.
Favorite Food: Chipotle-Steak Burrito
Favorite Movie: Here comes the Boom
Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt: Frozen Yogurt
Favorite Class in School: Government/History