University of Memphis Athletics
Tigers Ink 4-Star Wing J.J. Taylor
Nov 21, 2022 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis head men's basketball coach Penny Hardaway announced that J.J. Taylor has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Tiger program for the 2023-24 season. Taylor is rated a 4-star by 247Sports Composite and ranks as the No. 41 overall prospect in the class according to the On3 Consensus ranking – the average rating from all four major recruiting media companies.
"We are ecstatic to have J.J. join the Memphis Tiger Family," Hardaway said. "He is uniquely talented with every offensive skill you can think of. He is a true mismatch problem with a terrific blend of length, explosiveness, skill and shot-making ability.
"Defensively, he will bring incredible value with his ability to guard multiple positions and rebound outside his area, traits that will translate to the next level."
A 6-foot-8, 180-pound forward chose Memphis over offers from just about every blue blood in the country, including Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Arkansas, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Texas.
Even with his lofty recruitment, most schools had backed off recruiting him some time ago. If you went to see his AAU games over the summer, there weren't many college coaches watching him and his recruitment had grown stale, despite averaging 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for Mac Irvin Fire (IL) on the EYBL Circuit.
As a sophomore at Kenwood Academy in Chicago, Taylor burst onto the national scene averaging 28.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Taylor played his junior season at Donda Academy where he averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
This summer he averaged 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for Mac Irvin Fire (IL) on the EYBL Circuit.
Taylor enrolled for his senior season at San Ysidro High School in San Diego alongside future Tiger Mikey Williams. Taylor is a lengthy wing that can shoot the ball with range. He is regarded as the 12th-best small forward in the class and the No. 10 overall player in the state of California.
