Q&A with 2022 USF PG target Justin Taylor
Last Thursday Carmel Christian (NC) point guard Justin Taylor announced his decision to reclassify into the 2022 class and take a post grade year at Hargrave Military Academy.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound point guard became a USF target when the Bulls offered him in July 2019. However, USF was only going to take one point guard in the 2021 cycle and Trey Moss committed to the Bulls June 12. Now that Taylor has reclassified, he is once again hearing from USF because the staff will need a point guard in the 2022 cycle.
In addition to USF, Taylor currently holds offers from Charleston Southern, Elon, Mount St. Mary’s, North Carolina A&T and Winthrop. He is receiving high major interest from Clemson, Mississippi, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
BullsInsider.com spoke with Taylor, and his father Rick, about the decision, what went into it and more.
BI: Justin, I remember when we talked back in May you said you missed being in school. Is Carmel Christian doing in-school learning now or are you still online?
JT: We’re in-school. It’s going well. The first couple of weeks, you know, just getting back adjusted to going. It’s different because of Covid and everything but it feels good to be there. We have to wear masks, social distancing in classrooms, seating charts and all that stuff.
BI: I read your Tweet about reclassifying. Talk about the decision process. Like how long did you think about it before talking with your parents and so forth?
JT: Well, ever since the whole Covid thing started it [reclassifying] was kind of a thought. We always talked about it and thought about it but we didn’t know if we would act upon it but we always thought about it.
With all the uncertainty, we didn’t know how the college season would go this year or if they would have a season. We didn’t really have an AAU season so we really wanted me to have another year to have a good AAU season, a year to get better, wait, learn and see how everything is going to pan out as far as college basketball. And to keep getting ready for college.
BI: How did you decide on Hargrave Military Academy?
JT: My cousin (Dorenzo Hudson) actually went to Hargrave and it really helped him a lot so we saw Hargrave as an opportunity for me for a post grad year. We talked with the coach and went up there for a visit.
BI: Since you announced you are reclassifying have some colleges reached out to you that had not been recruiting you before?
JT: So far it is been pretty much the same coaches but the schools that offered me I let them know beforehand.
BI: Oh, so you told the coaches that had offered that you were going to announce that you were reclassifying?
JT: Yes, I didn’t want it to come as a surprise. They had already built a pretty good relationship with me. (Not telling them in advance) that’s kind of dirty, kind of.
BI: So, that includes telling USF.
JT: Yes, sir. South Florida knew. Actually, South Florida was the first school to know.
BI: How did that conversation go and who did you talk to at USF?
JT: My dad talked with Coach [Larry] Dixon about it. He told them the situation.
RT: He was pretty excited about it. He said ‘we’re definitely recruiting you’ because some older kids will be moving on and they’ll have a need at that time.
BI: How do you fell that USF has recruited your son so far?
RT: I feel like they’ve done an outstanding job. They’ve been very personable. They’re always in touch. Coach Dixon calls Justin quite often just to check in on him and see how he’s doing. He recruits the whole person not just the basketball player. So, I think he’s done a really good job recruiting Justin.