“Lightz Out” is turning his game up another level.
Since New York City constantly produces guards that excel on the next level, here is another name to add to the list: Mike Taylor.
As an eighth grader, Taylor played all five positions on the court, namely center. “I played all five positions but Coach [Elmer] Anderson said he saw potential that I could shoot so he worked on it with me,” said Taylor. “I wasn’t always a shooter, I became a shooter in ninth grade.”
As his coaches began to show confidence in his abilities, Taylor realized that he had a chance to make something out of his basketball skills.
“I realized I can go somewhere with basketball so I just worked on my game hard everyday,” revealed Taylor.
And work Taylor has done. Since the days that he was playing center, Taylor has turned into a sharp-shooting jump shooter with a speedy release that makes it tough for defenders to get in his grill, thus earning him the nickname “Lightz Out.”
A junior at Boys & Girls High School in Brooklyn, Taylor has been turning heads since he was a sophomore. Playing in the PSAL AA division, the shooting guard quickly adjusted to the top notch competition that he was up against, such as former Lincoln High School prep phenom Lance Stephenson.
“At first I was nervous but as the game went on I just shook off all the butterflies and played ball,” said Taylor. “We won that game and that was one of the best games ever. It was a great experience.”
As a 6-3 shooting guard, Taylor learned a lot from playing against a player of Stephenson’s stature at a young age.
“I saw that he was 6-6 and he was strong, had a handle, and was unstoppable going to the basket so I saw that I had to take my game to a whole new level,” explained Taylor. “I can’t work on getting taller and taller so I had to get quicker, stronger and smarter as a player.”
So these days “Lightz Out” isn’t just a shooting guard; he’s working to become a combo guard.
“I would love to play the point because he’s the leader on the floor and the second coach on the court,” said Taylor. With the added importance of being able to play both guard positions at a high level in college (see: Russell Westbrook, Tyshawn Taylor, Eric Bledsoe, or Jordan Crawford) Taylor understands that it would be wise to work on his ability to create for others.
At the moment, Taylor has a long list of potential suitors that want him on their squad to torch opponents and make plays for their team.
“South Florida, Pittsburgh, Indiana, South Carolina, St. Johns, Maryland, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Providence,” have all offered Taylor to this point and he is wide open right now without a favorite. “don’t know about [elite] camps yet but I plan on making a decision in early December [before the season].”
And right now, as usual, Taylor is just working on getting better. “I’m working on my strength, quickness and ball-handling.”
“Lightz Out” is on the rise. You heard it here first.
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