Player Profile:

The Xavier Newswire sat down with junior forward Travis Taylor of the Xavier men's basketball team. Taylor transferred to Xavier from Monmouth after his sophomore

season. The 2011-12 season is the first of his two seasons of eligibility for the Musketeers.

• Xavier Newswire: What kind of music would we find on your iPod?
• Travis Taylor: Hip-Hop and R&B. Actually, you'd find a range of different things, but mainly hip-hop and R&B.
• XN: What are some of your hobbies outside of basketball?
• TT: I watch TV a lot, especially Law & Order.
• XN: So, do you watch a lot of crime shows?
• TT: No, just Law & Order, especially Special Victims Unit.
• XN: What's your favorite movie?
• TT: I'm a movie person, so I don't know. I like a lot of movies.
• XN: Who's your favorite actor or actress?
• TT: Denzel Washington.
• XN: What's your favorite sport besides basketball?
• TT: Basketball.
• XN: What's your favorite NBA team?
• TT: I don't have a favorite team. I have a favorite player though.
• XN: Who's your favorite player?
• TT: Amar'e Stoudemire. I like his aggressiveness around the rim. He's a very aggressive player, and he gets better and better.
• XN: Who's a player you aspire tobe like?
• TT: I aspire to be like him [Stoudemire], but with a better jump shot, better handle, stuff like that. He's a great player.
• XN: What's something that inspires you, keeps you working?
• TT: Mainly just the fact that I started so late. It goes to show that at the end of the day, no matter how late you start, you still have a shot. Don't ever give up, basically.
• XN: What's something people might not know about you? TT: That I started playing basketball so late. I only played two years in high school. That's pretty different from a lot of people.
• XN: Do you have any pregame rituals?
• TT: My mother always texts me before every game.
• XN: What do you think makes you different from other  players on the Xavier team?
• TT: I've played basketball for a long time, but I've been around the game for such a little time.
• XN: What's something you'd like fans to know about you?
• TT: That I'm a funny person, humorous. I'll talk to anybody. I'm open to have a conversation with anybody.
• XN: Why'd you choose to transfer to Xavier?
• TT: It was the perfect environment.