Bolingbrook adds a gem in Taylor

BOLINGBROOK -- Troy Snyder knows a little something about earning respect on the basketball floor.

"He got a little two-handed dunk over me in open gym," Diamond Taylor smiled as he nodded his approval.

The 6-foot-6 Snyder is the incumbent, the best player returning to a Bolingbrook team that may be equipped to challenge for the Class 4A state championship.

The 6-3 Taylor is the newcomer, the transfer from the elite program, St. Joseph, who is among the most coveted talents in all of Illinois.

Together, the Raiders' 1-2 punch puts a spin on the approaching boys basketball season that the Joliet area does not always see.

"Definitely, a lot of guys here can play," said Taylor, who recently signed a national letter of intent to continue his career in the rugged Big Ten Conference -- at Wisconsin. "I bring my experience here. As a combination, Troy and I and the other guys, I think we can win state."

"Now that Diamond is here, we possibly can win state," offered Snyder, who has signed with Wisconsin-Green Bay of the Horizon League. "Ever since he came here, I think everyone has been working even harder. That's his influence. Everyone sees what might be possible if we work for it."

Talk of that nature is music to the ears of Raiders coach Rob Brost.

"Diamond has been with us all summer," Brost noted. "Everyone has accepted him, and vice versa. He's very excited about playing with kids of our caliber, and they have gotten excited about playing with him.

"It's all moving in a positive direction right now. But we have a lot to prove to everyone that we can do the work and do things together."

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Bolingbrook had significant talent returning from a team that won 18 games last season, and the sophomore team went 22-2. Senior Russell Burns and junior Antoine Cox are among other names that figure to become known throughout this area and likely the state.

A Thanksgiving tournament at Decatur, the Big Dipper at Christmas, the Young Tournament in Chicago in January, and the trek through the Southwest Suburban Blue ... yes, Bolingbrook will be seen.

You can't always draw conclusions from offseason results, but the Raiders challenged many of the big boys during the summer and proved they belonged on the same court. They will be ranked among the state's best in the preseason by just about everyone.

Hard work and dedication will keep them there.

"We will have athleticism on the perimeter, but at the end of the day, we will have to defend," Brost said. "The coaches in our conference alone are so strong that we will have to be able to adjust."

Kimrossi Taylor, Diamond's dad, was a varsity assistant for Brost last season, also his first with the Raiders, after the Taylors moved into Bolingbrook. The two are longtime coaching associates and friends.

Diamond thoroughly enjoyed his three years in coach Gene Pingatore's program at St. Joe's. But not only has Brost known Diamond Taylor since Diamond was 10 years old, and not only is the elder Taylor sitting next to Brost on the Raiders' bench, but the 5-minute drive to the Bolingbrook campus was so much more logical than the commute to Westchester.

Thus, the transfer.

"It was a difficult decision because of the program Coach Pingatore built over many years," Kimrossi Taylor said. "I really liked the opportunity Diamond had to play for him. But when you consider the travel and everything, it made sense for Diamond to transfer here."

"I think it's been a good adjustment," Diamond said. "We have good team chemistry. Now the team needs to prove what we can do.

"When I first got here, it was a little overwhelming, but everything is fine and I all I want to do is take advantage of this opportunity."

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More hard work ahead.

"We should be a pretty good team," Kimrossi Taylor said. "We have talent, but what stands out is the kids are working so hard for Coach Brost. He has done a terrific job getting the guys to play hard and getting the guys into his system."

The system became significantly more formidable when Diamond Taylor arrived.

"The good thing about Diamond is that he is so versatile," Brost said. "He can play the point, the wing, he helps give us a lot of options on how we will play. Do we use a true point guard, or do we just take down a rebound and go with it? We have all interchangeable parts on the perimeter."

"I'll do whatever I'm asked to do," Diamond said. "Point, wing, maybe some foward, wherever they want me."

Of course, Snyder is no slouch when it comes to versatility, either.

"Troy is big, long and athletic," Diamond Taylor said. "He is one of the best big men I have ever played with. He also is one of the most underrated guys in the state."

Of course. Not everyone can claim a two-handed dunk over Taylor, who has added 10 pounds of muscle -- he is a solid 170 -- since last season.

But Snyder's anonymity may be a thing of the past.

"Troy showed tremendous improvement in the last six months," Brost said. "He really worked hard on his game. He's a more complete player now. He has better range, his ballhandling has improved, and those things have been noticed on a national level.

"In addition, he has a 3.3 GPA and did well on his ACT. He's just a good ambassador for our school. He's your typical fun-loving kid, but he's quiet when he needs to be. He's a good listener when it's time to listen."

About that increased range on his shot -- Snyder is being encouraged to use it.

"Troy had a great mid-range shot, and now he can go beyond the high school 3-point line," Brost said. "He still has to extend that some. He was a power forward in the past, but he is a wing now. We're encouraging him to use his range."

"Diamond and I and his father have been getting together and shooting threes," Snyder said. "I have a lot more confidence in my jump shot now."

Snyder averaged 11.9 points and 6.8 rebounds a year ago. Taylor averaged better than 17 points at St. Joe's. The individual numbers likely will go up from there, but if not, it will not matter. Buoyed by a ballyhooed transfer, the Raiders are on course for something special.

"I've know Diamond since he was a little boy," Brost said. "I'm very proud of him, the great young man he is now."

"Diamond and I used to play on an AAU team together, but we weren't real close then," Snyder said. "Now we hang out a lot more, go over to each other's house and all that."

Wisconsin certainly likes what it will be getting. Taylor has known seemingly forever that he wanted to play there.

"I committed at the beginning of my junior year," he said. "I used to go to camp there, and I really enjoyed it."

For Snyder, the list of potential suitors grew as his offseason took off.

"I had Northern Iowa, UIC, Evansville, Wisconsin-Milwaukee talking to me, in addition to Green Bay," he said. "But Green Bay seemed like the right fit. Their wings are leaving, and they're going to need one bad."

But the colleges will have to wait. Over the next few months, Bolingbrook's new 1-2 punch plans to wreak havoc on the high school basketball world.