Dreaming big

Bolingbrook's Diamond Taylor prepares to catch the ball. Taylor transferred to Bolingbrook from St. Joseph and is committed to Wisconsin.
(Scott Powers/For the Sun-Times)

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

Troy Snyder was thinking big -- Peoria big -- before Diamond Taylor arrived to Bolingbrook.

But when Taylor and his versatile game decided finally to transfer earlier this summer to his hometown school and join his father, an assistant coach, after a couple years of rumors, Snyder began thinking even bigger--state championship bigger.

"I think we're one of the top teams in the state," Snyder said. "Now that we've got Diamond, it opens everything up. We have a do-it-all team. You can't guard us in zone; your can't guard us in man."

Last week at the Morris Shootout, the Raiders began showing that. Bolingbrook won its first six games, the first four by 15 points or more, before falling to Hyde Park in the championship game.

The first thing any opponent will notice about Bolingbrook is its size. The starters go 5-10, 6-4, 6-4, 6-5, 6-7. Off the bench, they come 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

There are times when starting point guard Ryan Walker, the 5-10, is subbed that Taylor, who is 6-3, becomes the short player on the court.

"That's what we didn't have Joe's," Taylor said. "It was short to tall. Everyone's tall here."

Tall and skilled.

Snyder, who is 6-5, can play inside or outside. Against New Trier at Morris, Snyder demonstrated his perimeter game knocking down two three-pointers in the first half when the Trevians played zone. Throughout the shootout, he also displayed his interior game and was just as impressive. Last season, he averaged 14 points.

"He's a 6-5 wing," Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost said. "When a Division I coach sees a 6-5 player who can play inside or on the perimeter … He's a very versatile player."

And that's why Northern Illinois and UIC have already offered him, and Wisconsin-Green Bay, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois are also interested.

Starting alongside Snyder is 6-7 Brandon Stanciel, who is active inside and averaged seven points later year, 6-4 Russell Burns, who averaged nine points, Walker, a steady point guard, and Taylor. Junior Antoine Cox, a 6-1 guard, is the team's most athletic player and will be key off the bench.

Taylor had considered transferring to Bolingbrook last summer to join his dad Kim Rossi, but decided against it as he hadn't committed to a college yet. But now after choosing to play at Wisconsin, Taylor was now ready to transfer from St. Joe's and coach Gene Pingatore.

"With Joe's being so far, it took time away from my game," said Taylor, who traveled an hour-plus to Westchester every day. "The time I spent in the car I can now spend in the weight room and gym. It was definitely hard. I had to go in coach Ping's office and look him in the eye. He accepted it."

In Taylor, the Raiders, who finished 18-8 last season, add another dimension to their team.

"He's just an all-around really good player," Brost said. "He solidifies our offense because he can score."

For Taylor, the move from St. Joe's to Bolingbrook was made easier when he realized his opportunity to win state in Class 3A with the Chargers would be just as good with the Raiders in 4A.

"Everybody's so long; everybody can score; everybody can play great defense," Taylor said. "We don't rely on one player to run the team. Joe's was talented, and this team definitely has the potential to win state, too."