The BC Raiffeisen Flyers Wels, a member of the Austrian Basketball Superliga, announced today that former Boilermaker Jacquil Taylor will be plying his chosen trade in Austria this season.
@JacquilT14 has signed to begin year 2 of his pro career in Austria with @flyerswels #kreationtalent pic.twitter.com/g3HAiMfg69
— Kreation Talent (@kreationtalent) August 27, 2020
The list of “what if this guy didn’t get injured” is long and inglorious for the Boilermakers.
What if Glenn didn’t jack up his back before the Duke game?
What if Kenneth Lowe’s shoulder enjoyed hanging out in it’s socket?
What if Robbie missed the bus, got the flu, got stuck in the elevator, was abducted by aliens...etc instead of playing in the game that shall be unmentioned.
While Jacquil doesn’t reach those levels of Purdue basketball injury lore, he may have if his foot/ankle would have cooperated at any point in his Boilermaker career. The big man out of Cambridge, Mass oozed talent, but a devastating leg injury suffered in high school that continued to pose problems through his college career, kept him from reaching his full potential for the Boilermakers.
I’ve always wondered what impact a fully healthy Taylor could have made at Purdue. Having a 6’10 big man that runs like a gazelle and has solid outside range is always a good thing. Even though his bum leg kept him off the court, Jacquil was always first off the bench to support the team and was well respected inside the locker room.
After transferring to Hoffstra to complete his eligibility, things turned around for Taylor. As a senior he averaged 8.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and more importantly considering his injury history at Purdue, started 35 games for the Pride, averaging a little over 25 minutes a game.
Since graduation, he’s used basketball to travel the world. He played for Duzce Belediye in Turkey last season, and is moving on to Austria this year. He even moonlighted for The Men of Mackey this summer during The Basketball Tournament.
Good Luck in Austria this year Jaquil, and don’t pass on the Tafelspitz. I understand it’s pretty good.