Oh, Hello: NJ PF Brandon Taylor Commits to Penn State

Brandon Taylor, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Stats
Home/HS: Hamilton, NJ/Trenton Catholic Academy
AAU: Team Philly
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 230 LB

Starz 'n Sheetz
Stars: 87 grade (ESPN)
Offer sheet: Drexel, Minnesota, Temple, Richmond, Miami Fla, and South Florida 

Cinema

*This is all that's really out there on Taylor, but it shows his versatility.

The Tale

When it was announced that Devin Thomas had committed to WFU on Saturday, part of the reasoning was there was a lack of scholarships at PSU. It seemed obvious that PSU must have had somebody else in the wings. That man was PF Brandon Taylor. PSU was hard after him this summer, scouting him with Team Philly on the AAU circuit. Taylor had a great summer and was rising up the recruiting boards. He was offered by Coach Chambers on his unofficial visit in early August. Taylor chose Penn State over Miami (Fl), South Florida, Drexel, Temple and Richmond. He also had interest at one point from Minnesota and Maryland. Miami Florida likely was his second choice, as he was recruited by Jim Larranaga for a long time at George Mason. Luckily, location and academics seemed to win out. 

Brandon plays for Trenton Catholic Academy in New Jersey. I haven't found complete stats from his high school seasons, but he did score 11.7 PPG for TCA last year. That might seem low, but his squad is loaded with D-1 talent in Chazz Patterson and Ronnie Paden. He also already has a state championship under his belt, as they defeated powerhouse St. Anthony's in the 2010 championship. 

Outlook

Brandon Taylor gives PSU a versatile big man, capable of handling the rock and shooting treys on the perimeter, or banging inside with the big boys. The most exciting thing about him is all of his game is still developing, as he has really progressed this year as a late-bloomer. He doesn't quite have the inside game as Devin Thomas, but he has a more diverse skillset. Taylor has the size to play in the Big Ten right away, but his father hinted that he might redshirt because he's one of the younger guys in his grade. Here are a couple of saved tweets from summer observers - @raphiellej and @highmajorscoop. I think the best PSU comparison is Travis Parker, Ed's first JuCo commit. Parker averaged 11.8 PPG and 5.6 RPG his career while shooting 36.3% from 3. 

Taylor's commitment still leaves PSU's scholarship situation in limbo. Thomas was turned away due to lack of scholarships, but they play the same position so the staff probably was only looking for one. However, PSU technically didn't have any scholarships open if Tre Bowman was going to come back to the team. Therefore, Taylor's commitment would seem to put the nail in the coffin of Tre Bowman's PSU career.

Chambers, however, doesn't seem to be done recruiting. 6'5" wing Quenton DeCosey will be taking an official visit this Friday. Right now, there are no scholarships open for him. But if he does commit, I would guess that likely says Billy Oliver is planning to graduate this year (which he is scheduled to do so) and move on with his life. Here's the current scholarship chart for the 2012-2013 roster. 

Check back tomorrow for a complete Basketball Recruitin' update.