SALT LAKE CITY -- "He brings a spark," senior guard Delon Wright said about his teammate Brandon Taylor. "He's an energetic player; he knocks down shots. He's shooting really well right now from the three, so him shooting well is a real threat for us."
Taylor has not always been the star on the Utah men's basketball team.
He did not start his freshman year and only played an average of 20 minutes a game.
But, he did not let his backseat role get him down.
"I never let go. I never got low in self-esteem or confidence or anything like that; I really just kept fighting each and every day and I kept learning," Taylor said about his freshman year. "That was the big thing for me; I really kept learning from the guards that were ahead of me. I kept learning, I kept taking that and put it into action on the court."
Since his freshman year, Taylor has improved in nearly every stat category. He is averaging 11 points a game, two and a half rebounds, three and a half assists, and one and a half steals a game. His stats do not stand out too much, but it is because Taylor prides himself on being a team player -- not the star.
"It's easy to really get caught up in it. You know, right now I'm getting a lot of press and it's easy to get caught into it and pay attention and kind of let yourself go," Taylor said about his success. "That's one thing I'm trying to not really let myself do. I'm just doing everything I can to help my team."
Taylor is now a junior with a lot of playing time ahead of him. He said the only goal he has for himself is not even about himself.
"At the end of every game, that Brandon Taylor had an impact on that game to help his team win," Taylor said. "That's one goal that I'll always want to have."
The Utes take on Stanford Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.
