CHICAGO — There’s no moment to mention for Glen Taylor Jr.
There is no tipping point. Nothing special happened, but a 180-degree pivot from his latest whim to an essential two-way production for St. John’s.
It’s more a matter of mindset. During the low points of the season, I told myself that negativity wouldn’t help me.
“I stayed in the gym when things weren’t going well, and I think that helped me a lot,” Taylor reflected Monday as St. John’s prepared to play DePaul on Tuesday. “I feel like I’ve discovered a lot about myself this year, knowing that I can overcome adversity and stay positive. The past two years, I wouldn’t have been like this. I feel like I’ve grown as a person here. I will.”
The 6-foot-6 Taylor, who transferred to Oregon State from Las Vegas, started the year as a starter.
His role gradually diminished once Big East play began and fellow wing RJ Lewis became healthy.
He did not come off the bench against Butler on January 2, and averaged 10.3 minutes in 12 games from January 12 to February 21.
He was hesitant to shoot and didn’t play aggressive enough.
Taylor continued to work and hit the gym late into the night.
He had many conversations with Rick Pitino about his role, during which the Hall of Fame coach implored him to be more active on both ends of the floor.
Pitino said the team needed his athleticism and defensive versatility. The potential was there.
Over the past few years, Taylor has often been self-deprecating when times get tough. he will mourn.
This year we didn’t have that option.
His teammates encouraged him. The same goes for Pitino’s coaching staff, which Taylor credited with lifting Pitino’s spirits, especially in his short minutes.
“He just brings positivity. [energy] To the court,” Junior said. “You can’t just play for a guy like that and get down.”
Just as everything was going wrong for St. John’s, Taylor finally showed up.
Taylor was a key player in a 14-point upset of No. 10 Creighton on Feb. 25, grabbing 10 rebounds and adding four assists against Big East Player of the Year candidate Baylor Scheierman. He played lockdown defense.
Three days later, against Butler, he sank five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 17 points. In those two wins, the Red Storm (18-12, 9-9) outscored their opponents by 46 points with Taylor in attendance.
Those two Quad 1 wins may have saved the Red Storm’s season.
At least they stopped a disaster in which the Johnnies lost eight of their 10 games.
Heading into Tuesday’s league doormat game against DePaul, St. John’s is firmly in the NCAA Tournament bubble and in position to dance for the first time since 2019.
And Taylor played a key role in this late-season awakening.
“I was just trying to attack the boards a lot because I could see in the Creighton fight that they weren’t really boxing,” he said. “Against Butler, I had an open shot and I hit it. I knew my teammates were finding me and that’s what we needed. Just going out and playing. , it’s about letting the game take over and seeing what it takes at that moment to win.”
Furthermore, he added: “I just try to not let anyone on the team down. I try to come in there and bring it every day and bring it as much as I can and do whatever I need to do with that time. ”
Taylor believes that what’s important for her these days is that she has started focusing all of her energy on the present and not worrying about the past or the future.
That he stopped thinking so much about being perfect and focused on making simple, winning plays.
He can also make extra passes or sprint back to help the defense. It led to a significant expansion of his role.
“[This season] It’s been a roller coaster, but that’s how life is,” Taylor said. “It’s not always high. The important thing is that he was trying to maintain confidence in himself.”
