Tyshawn Taylor Headed to Kansas

St. Anthony’s (Jersey City) guard Tyshawn Taylor has switched paths and has now committed to Kansas, according to report in the Lawrence Journal-World. Taylor had originally signed with Marquette, but had asked to be let out of his commitment when Coach Tom Crean bolted for Indiana. Taylor, who had been an integral part of St. Anthony’s undefeated squad this past season that won high school basketball’s mythical national championship, will join a Kansas squad fresh off winning college basketball’s title but in need of serious retooling after several defections to the NBA.

"I just felt like Kansas was the right place for me,” Taylor told the Journal-World. “Coach (Bill) Self and all the coaches and the players made me feel comfortable. People there are still celebrating the championship. It's something that I want to be part of."

- In other news, North Carolina prospect Miles Plumlee has asked out of his commitment to Stanford after former Cardinal Coach Trent Johnson left to become the head man at LSU. Plumlee’s brother, Mason, has orally committed to Duke, and some have speculated that Miles may end up there as well as the Blue Devils now have a scholarship open after the transfer of Taylor King to Villanova. New Stanford Coach Johnnie Dawkins seems to think that Plumlee will never make it to Palo Alto.

“You always want kids that want to be in your program,” Dawkins told the San Jose Mercury-News. “So if the young man is not sure of his decision or does not feel it's the right fit for him, I'm a believer that the kid should go where he's more comfortable."

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Top ranked St. Anthony's finishes season undeafeated with Tournament of Champions win

Congratulations to St. Anthony’s of Jersey City for completing its season undefeated with a 69-36 win over Science Park High to with the Jersey State Tournament of Champions. McDonald’s All-American guard Mike Rosario led the Friars with 21 points, and guard Tyshawn Taylor went 7-for-7 from the floor with 17 points. Rosario and Taylor will next face off in the Big East as Rosario heads to Rutgers and Taylor will play at Marquette.

"We made some adjustments at halftime," said St. Anthony’s coach Bob Hurley, who is on the ballot for the Naismith Hall of Fame this year. "We had a few players out of synch and towards the end of the half we had an ineffective lineup on the floor. In the second half, we added more defensive pressure, threw a few zones at them to force them to shoot from the perimeter."

The Friars featured six seniors who have signed to play for Division I schools on their roster this season, but their best player, junior forward Dominic Cheek, will be back next year.

- St. Thomas More guard Devin Ebanks was in attendance at the Big 10 tournament this past weekend watching Indiana, the school he signed with this past summer, fall to Minnesota in the tournament quarterfinals. Ebanks told the Indiana Daily Student that his recruitment was still up in the air, and he was expected to meet with officials from the Indiana athletic department this week.

"I don't know right now," Ebanks told the paper. "Right now we have to meet with (IU Athletic Director) Rick Greenspan tonight or probably (Saturday), but we haven't decided yet. I will try to make a decision after the Big Ten Tournament."

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Dominic Cheek - St. Anthony's on a Roll

St. Anthony’s of Jersey City is on a roll. Unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the country by Sports Illustrated and USA Today, the Friars, who feature highly-touted junior Dominic Cheek, will be at the Brian Doherty Classic in Newark this weekend. The schedule says the opponent this weekend is Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft, N.J., but the real opposition may be perfection. Just don’t say that to Friars coach Bob Hurley Sr.

"Somebody called me today and told me about the USA Today," Hurley told the Jersey Journal. "I don't look at the polls, though. It's a superstition that I don't look until the end of the year.

"I might mention something to them at practice about how amazing it is," Hurley continued. "We have some people hopping on the bandwagon, but as soon as there's some failure they're right back off it. We try to teach the kids that lesson of life."

Cheek is the star of the Friars, but what truly makes them dangerous is their depth in the back court. Five senior guards -- Mike Rosario (Rutgers), Giovanny Fontan (Fordham), Travon Woodall (Pittsburgh), Tyshawn Taylor (Marquette) and Alberto Estwick (Fordham) -- already are signed with a Division 1 college, as is senior forward A.J. Rogers, who is headed to St. Joseph's.

"I think the one thing that counterbalances the pursuit of a championship -- yes, that's something we all want badly -- is the fact that they've all gotten college scholarships,” Hurley told the Star-Ledger. “That helps them concentrate on the season. The one part that is really nerve-racking is over."

The Friars should roll this weekend, and perhaps into the state playoffs, where a possible match-up with St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth, last year’s state champions, could await.

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