Taggart article

[markshir]

I think Taggart fits better into Memphis' offense and defense than he would have here.

Honestly, I don't think he will ever display the tenacity on defense that it takes to be the reason his team is winning championships.

He is a talented scorer, and he rebounds somewhat well - but could be better given his length and athleticism. Overall, I would have preferred that he stayed, but I don't think he would have been a difference maker in the long run.

[keepngoal]

Honestly, I think you could throw in an UofI post player in Taggarts spot and not miss a step. In fact most any post player...

I do not see Taggart as must have out on the floor and not a contributor in the sense, without him they fail .. or even be were they are. I haven't seen him hustle, things come to him. I haven't seen him deny anyone from the post, he gets pushed around and wildly swats at shots from penetrating guards. Just a few things I have noticed.

-keep

[MNclone]

I know this sounds bad, but I have a hard time wishing Taggart well at Memphis. In general, I'm a very forgiving guy, I have no problem with any of the other guys transferring. But for some reason, I have had a hard time with Shawn.

[ianoconnor]

I was upset when he left. I always thought he had a lot of potential, even with his "issues".

[Clones85']

Taggart is an above average big man. You could not just throw players on that team and have them be as successful as he has been. Alex T would not have the same production at Memphis that Taggart has had. I am good friends w/ an ex ISU coach during the Morgan years. He still thinks that Taggart is a legit talent and will be in the NBA some day. I disagree. I don't think he is athletic enough, and even worse, doesn't have the demeanor. But....he is better than a lot of you give him credit for.

[Bobber]

I think the fact he left ISU impacts what some ISU fans think of him in a negative way.

He's a decent player on a great team. Wish we still had him, but support Gmac's decision 100% to let players go who don't want to play for ISU.

[cyclonez7]

Right now, I'd say Brackins is far above where Taggart was as a freshman. Taggart was too skinny to post up, and therefore he hardly had any post moves. Taggart is probably a better rebounder than Brackins, but he just doesn't excite you too much. Comparing the two now, I'd still say Brackins is better than Taggart.

[ISUboi12]

Wow people... Lemon-Cherry Kool-Aid Convention?!?!

[cycloneworld]

I'm glad Taggert is doing well. And I think he's a good Division 1 player. I think he has the potential to be an excellent player but doesn't really have the work ethic to do it (he's said so himself).

[cybsball20]

Originally Posted by cyclonez7

Right now, I'd say Brackins is far above where Taggart was as a freshman. Taggart was too skinny to post up, and therefore he hardly had any post moves. Taggart is probably a better rebounder than Brackins, but he just doesn't excite you too much. Comparing the two now, I'd still say Brackins is better than Taggart.

Remember that Taggart also lost 20 pounds just before the season and missed all of pre-season conditioning...

[kingcy]

Didnt Taggart think he was a one and done player? I wish him well he didnt do much to impress anyone while he was at ISU. Looks like he lacks hustle and sounds like he lacks work ethic.

[Ficklone02]

I think he is the ideal body type to fit in their system....long and lean, has a really nice mid-range touch...they need him to play the middle of a zone offense as I don't see any other guy on there team with that ability. I'm sure he's much happier where he's at now, so I guess the feeling is mutual with him and alot of our fans. I wish he had stayed, but its over now.

[Wesley]

Looks like he runs twice as fast now to get back on defense.

[CYKOFAN]

I must have missed it when Taggart told Mac he didn't want to work hard on defense. Did that info come from Mac or Taggart? How can anybody think that a player getting major minutes on a national championship caliber team wouldn't have helped us this year, and especially next year with Jiri leaving. Like somebody pointed out, he's long with a good mid-range jumper, and if Memphis needed more offense from him I'm guessing they could get it. He's got two more years and I'm betting Calapari is being honest when he says Taggart is a really good player. Comparing Taggart and Brackins freshmen years, I'd say both had their ups and downs with Brackins ups being higher. But you also have to consider that Taggart missed a month of the season and lost a lot of weight with the illness, which definitely set him back his freshman year.

[CloneFan65]

Rivals has a nice article about Shawn Taggart. It mentions his time at ISU.

Rivals.com College Basketball - Taggart helps man the middle for Memphis

Edit: Dang it. I misspelled his name in the thread title. I knew I should have double-checked.