It's safe to say that when a player is honored with the opportunity to play for head coach Bob Hurley Sr. at St. Anthony's High School that college coaches will give that prospect a serious look. It goes with the territory. Hurley receives the proper respect from college coaches because he is a tremendous teacher.
And it's also safe to say that the Westchester Hawks AAU program that includes such highly regarded coaches in Bob Rizzo and Phil Diasparra also garners the same type of respect. Both basketball programs do a tremendous job in helping develop the talent from the New York/New Jersey area.
So when you think of Tyshawn Taylor, he's fortunate in two ways -- he has the chance to play for Hurley and Rizzo year round when competing in hoops.
The 6-foot-3 athlete has spent two years with Rizzo and the Westchester Hawks, a team that will compete next month at the Super Showcase and National AAU tournament at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
"When he came to us he was a slasher," Rizzo said. "His game has improved so much over the last couple of years. He's now an execution guy for us, someone who can also run the team."
Rizzo knows that Taylor can be very valuable to his team. "He's a great athlete," Rizzo stated. "He has improved his shooting a great deal too."
Rizzo said he won't hesitate in using him in many different types of situations. "He could play point guard for us," said Rizzo. "When Trinity is out of the game and we need someone to fill in, Tyshawn can fill that role for us if we need him to do so."
It's a summer of opportunity for Taylor too. The Hawks will play in many high profile events over the next several weeks. It's a chance for Taylor to prove his worth to the many college coaches that are likely to watch the Hawks this summer.