Basketball fans in Madison may be the only ones who no longer do a double take when sophomore guard Kammron Taylor walks onto the basketball court. But the player who bears an eerie resemblance to comedian Chris Rock has begun to build his own reputation on the court that surpasses just a superficial similarity to a celebrity.
After Saturday's game against No. 1 Illinois, where he had four turnovers, Taylor will start the game on the bench against Michigan. Moving to the bench has not stopped him from analyzing what he needs to do at the point to help the team be successful, including getting the ball to players like senior forward Mike Wilkinson.
\They're doing their job working down low to get position and get the ball,"" Taylor said. ""We have to do our job on the perimeter to get them the ball.""
It is that kind of drive and focus that has made Taylor a player to watch as he grows into his role at the top of the key for the Badgers.
After being recruited by Minnesota (his home state) along with former Gopher Kris Humphries, Taylor came to UW where he played few minutes his freshman year as a backup to former Badger Devin Harris. The time proved to be well-spent as Harris gave the guard pointers that came into play a lot earlier when Harris left for the NBA.
""Where do you want me to start [about Harris]?"" Taylor asked. ""This guy, he taught me a lot. Just how to be a leader out there on the floor and how to control tempo. When to use your quickness on defense and offense. Just going against him every day in practice I think really got me ready for this year.""
Taylor has done a lot of growing up since last season when he sat for most of the NCAA Tournament and was admittedly frustrated with the lack of playing time when he believed he was ready to prove himself.
""For any competitor it is tough just to sit on the bench and watch your teammates,"" Taylor said. ""I know they played their heart out. I probably wasn't ready, but being so confident, I thought I was ready.""
This year has been one of mixed results for Taylor who has shown some growing pains, none however, that probably cannot be fixed by time and more practice. He averages just over 22 minutes in his nine starts and 22 game appearances where he has shown his quickness and proved to be a deep threat on the court when having a hot game. However, he has been prone to turnovers (32 assists to 51 turnovers for the season) and rash shooting. Nonetheless, his teammates remain confident that Taylor just needs more time.
""He's learning daily,"" Wilkinson said. ""He's getting more confident. He's becoming a better shooter and from that he's becoming more confident. He's better at decisions. He's growing up as a point guard and a leader out there. Who knows what a few more games will do for him?""
-BadgerNation contributed to this report.
