BY JASON DELLA ROSA
HERALD DEMOCRAT
"Tha Kid" is all grown up.
Months after committing to the University of Oklahoma and four years after he burst on to the high school basketball scene, Denison senior T.J. Taylor signed his national letter of intent to play for the Sooners on Wednesday.
Taylor decided to take advantage of the early signing period rather than wait until after his senior season was over. The guard has always jumped into the action, much like he did starting from the first minute his freshman year.
"It's a big relief," he said. "You have a lot to lose if you wait. You could get hurt."
Taylor is speaking from experience after breaking an ankle in June and unable to participate in AAU events this summer. He has recovered and is ready for Denison's opener, which is on Nov. 23.
"He's signed, relaxed and doesn't have to worry about the recruiting process," first-year Denison head coach Jody Bass said. "If they sign early, you hope they don't get complacent. You want them to still have that competitive mindset and I think T.J.'s that way."
His quick ascent, the hype surrounding his arrival and subsequent play garnered a nickname and both positive and negative attention.
"I knew when I saw him as a seventh-grader he would be this good," said Scott Curran, who oversaw Taylor's development for five years before taking the head coaching job at Byron Nelson High School this past spring. "I think he handled it the best you can handle it."
He chose the Sooners from a list of nearly a dozen offers, including Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, Arizona State, Iowa State and Marquette. Taylor's final three were Oklahoma, Marquette and Arizona State.
"The whole recruiting process to me was, if you're not consistent, you're not getting in," Taylor said. "If they really wanted me, they're consistent. Oklahoma was there from the beginning."
Taylor, who is already Denison's all-time leading scorer and needs just 13 points for 2,000 in his career, was an all-state selection by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches for the second straight year after averaging 27.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He has been a district Offensive Player of the Year the past two seasons and was the 5-4A Newcomer of the Year as a freshman.
"My career so far has been pretty successful," Taylor said. "It's been pretty good."
He is listed as the sixth-best rising senior in the state -- one spot behind Sherman's Cameron Clark, who has made a verbal commitment to Oklahoma -- in TexasHoops.com's latest rankings. He is also listed as the 91st-best player in the country and 23rd-best shooting guard and a four-star prospect by Rivals.
"We're really excited about him joining the OU family," Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel said. "I wouldn't pigeonhole T.J. into one spot. To me, that takes away from his strengths. I wouldn't say he's just a point and I wouldn't say he's just a two. He's a good guard. The most important thing is he's a guy who helps you win."
Taylor has helped Denison reached the playoffs in each of his three seasons, a streak that had not been duplicated in more than two decades. The Yellow Jackets have also advanced to the second round each time, which is considered to be a first for the program.
"It's a special day for him. It's not every day a player signs with one of the best programs in the country," Curran said. "His junior year every day (recruiters) could be in the gym they were there. Day after day."
Oklahoma went 30-6 and lost to eventual champion North Carolina in the Elite Eight this past spring. It was the third time in the last eight years Oklahoma made the region final. The Sooners open the season on Saturday as the 16th-ranked team in the country.
"The program's really on the rise," Taylor said. "I was sold from Day 1."
