| Final Season: Bryce Taylor |
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| Written by Sam Finley | ||||||
| Tuesday, 29 January 2008 | ||||||
BRYCE TAYLOR: SHOOTING FOR A BIG FINISH BY SAM FINLEY If there is one guy who could give the Ducks a much-needed boost down the stretch, it’s Bryce Taylor. Last season, he helped set the stage for Oregon’s run to the Elite Eight…by hitting 11 out of 11 shots against USC in the Pac-10 Tournament Championship game. This season, while the 6’4, 210 pound guard is currently third on the team in scoring, Bryce has yet to find the consistency he had just one season ago. But, as Ernie Kent points out, if Taylor can take his game up a notch…then the Ducks could be shooting for a strong finish. In the meantime, maybe the best way Bryce can help the Ducks is through his senior leadership towards the younger guys like Kamyron Brown and Tajuan Porter…especially as they head towards a Civil War Saturday.
SENIOR INFLUENCE DI: As a senior, what do you tell the younger guards like Tajuan Porter and Kamyron Brown…who are both having their ups and downs right now? BT: That’s just a part of basketball…and a part of your career. It’s part of a learning process for them. They’re still very young…and there’s a process they need to undergo. That’s typical for point guards or just guards in general at this level. You’ve seen Aaron Brooks go through it. I’ve gone through it, as has Malik Hairston…so they just need to make sure that they continue to improve, watch film, and keep their heads held high…because things will turn around eventually. FRUSTRATING FOUR DI: How frustrating has it been for you guys the last four games where you’ve been in it right until the end…particularly against UCLA and USC…only to come up short? BT: I would have to say that the last 4 games have been extremely frustrating because we are a team capable of winning these games. But for one reason or another, we aren’t finishing off games…and stepping up and making plays when we need to in order to finish strong and come out with the win. But at the same time, it gives us confidence that if we continue to keep doing what we are doing, and make a few more defensive stops…as well as a few more shots in crunch time…that we’ll come out victorious in the near future. We are a mentally tough team and will continue to give our best effort to win games. As a team, we do feel like we have a lot of positive things to build off of, except we are continuing to focus in on improving our team defense. If we don’t do that, we realize that we will continue to struggle finishing games…if we cant step up and get the stops. THE BEAVERS ARE COMING DI: What does the Civil War rivalry mean to you? BT: The rivalry means a lot to my teammates and me…and the history of only builds from year to year. We realize the importance to our fans and those who have come before us in the program. Having been in Eugene for 4 years now myself, you begin to hate those black and orange colors. Every time we step on the floor, both teams seem to raise their level of play, whether it is here or at Gill Coliseum…and this game on Saturday, it will be the same way. FUTURE PLANS DI: You graduated this past fall with a degree in sociology. So what are your plans after Oregon? BT: After I’m all done here, I’m going to pursue a professional career in basketball. As far as sociology goes, I’ll probably like to use it in an area like sports psychology. When I first came to Oregon, I was a psychology major…so I just want to do something where I can maybe work with people…being able to help with issues that they have…whether it’s basketball, sports, or whatever the case might be.
For more of this exclusive interview with Bryce Taylor, pick up a free copy of Ducks Illustrated today!!
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 January 2008 ) | ||||||
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