2014 Purdue Basketball Recruiting: Jacquil Taylor Commits to Purdue

While Purdue football continued to throw bad news at Purdue fans this evening, the basketball team continued to give fans a reason to step off the ledge. GoldandBlack.com first reported tonight that 2014 big man Jacquil Taylor, from Cambridge, MA, has committed to join Matt Painter's 2014 class.

Taylor is listed at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wing span. Taylor had previously said Purdue used Jajuan Johnson as an example of how they would like to use him, as he has the size, length and mobility to stretch the court while also making an impact inside. As an added bonus, he's left-handed, which I enjoy as a fellow lefty.

ESPN Insider reports Taylor's weaknesses as "Taylor needs to turn potential into production on a more consistent basis. He needs to become more comfortable playing against contact inside the paint, develop a go to move with his back to the basket, and continue to improve his overall ball skills. Most importantly, he needs to become more assertive on both ends of the floor."

The bottom line is it might be best if Taylor had a year under AJ Hammons to get Big Ten-ready, but Purdue needed a big man in the 2014 class and he fits the bill. He joins Vince Edwards and Dakota Mathias as next year's newcomers.

Taylor was on Purdue's campus last weekend. Before that he was reportedly pretty unfamiliar with West Lafayette and Purdue in general. Earlier today he announced his list was down to Purdue, North Carolina A&T and St. Joesph's. Earlier Monday night, Purdue learned that Ronnie Harrell, a target from Denver, committed to Creighton.