Travis Taylor fills gap in XU roster

Xavier head coach Chris Mack knew all along that Travis Taylor would be a great addition and key player for the Musketeers in the 2011-12 season. Taylor, a 6-foot-7, 214 pound junior forward averaged 17.8 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Monmouth two years ago. Last season, Taylor was required to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules, but still practiced with the Muskies and learned Coach Mack's system. What is especially impressive about Taylor is his ceiling for potential growth as a basketball player. He never played organized basketball until his junior year in high school, yet he was named to the Northeast Conference All-Rookie team just two years later as a collegiate freshman at Monmouth.

Mack expects Taylor to come in and immediately contribute no matter what the circumstances. Taylor also adds speed to the team and is a bigger scoring threat than center Kenny Frease. In a perfect world, Xavier will have both Frease and Taylor playing in the post at some point this

season. Coach Mack has nothing but praises for XU's newest major contributor. "He's versatile, can score around the basket and has a great feel for the game despite his limited playing career. Certainly, his best days are ahead of him. He's a very good student, comes from a close-knit family and we're looking forward to Travis being an integral

part of our basketball family over the next two years," Mack said.