While Jayden Taylor paced NC State over Coastal Carolina, Wolfpack believes in balanced scoring attack

Shortly after NC State graduate guard Michael O’Connell, the team’s floor general, exited with two fouls in the first four minutes against Coastal Carolina, the Wolfpack’s offense seemed out of sorts. 

That included senior guard Jayden Taylor, who assumed more ball handling duties without O’Connell on the floor. And a three-minute stretch midway through the first half without the team’s top assist man on the court didn’t go well for Taylor. He committed the team’s first four turnovers in that period before he settled down with the ball in his hand as the Pack beat the Chanticleers 82-70 on Wednesday night at Lenovo Center. 

Taylor finished the night with a game-best 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting without a made three-pointer (0-for-4) to go with five total turnovers. But what changed for Taylor, who logged just one giveaway in the final 20 minutes, during the second half? He knew where he wanted to go with the basketball. 

“I just started being more decisive,” said Taylor, who appeared to have more zip on his passes after that turnover-filled stretch. “Just being more decisive and making up my mind.”

Taylor’s confidence didn’t seem rattled by the early errors as he scored 7 points in the first two minutes of the second half, a key cog in the Wolfpack’s 10-0 run to give itself a big enough lead it could fend off the Chanticleers the rest of the way. Taylor feasted on Coastal Carolina’s drop defense with mid-range jumpers that fell through the hoop as if he was on his hometown playground, while he was also able to attack the rim at will. 

The former Butler transfer admitted afterwards that he wasn’t pleased with how the team finished the first half, holding just a 3-point lead, and he wanted to be the spark to get the Wolfpack rolling. That worked to perfection as NC State never trailed in its wire-to-wire win, even though Coastal Carolina hung around.

Taylor, who entered the season with the mindset of scoring more after leading scorer DJ Horne’s departure, has now led the Wolfpack in scoring in back-to-back games. He dropped 18 in the team’s 81-72 win over Presbyterian before becoming the first NC State player to eclipse 20 points in the 2023-24 campaign against Coastal Carolina. 

“I feel like I have to be more aggressive being a returner and a senior,” Taylor said. “I have a lot of experience in college basketball, so just trying to help my team win.”

Although Taylor has been the Wolfpack’s bus driver to this point, NC State coach Kevin Keatts still believes that his squad will feature a balanced attack this season. The eighth-year coach, who relied heavily on Horne for most of last season, didn’t think he’d have to do that this season. 

Instead, the Pack’s depth will be the key, in his eyes. 

“I think we’re going to have a group that on any given night night, you might have Marcus Hill with 18 or Brandon with 18,” Keatts said. “I think JT played well tonight and the other night, but I don’t think this group needs him to have the DJ Horne role. I think we’ve got a lot of guys that will be anywhere between 12 to 15 points a game just depending on the night and the opponent.”

Taylor was in the same thinking, reflecting on the three other players that scored more than 10 points in the win over the Chanticleers, though he does enjoy being able to lead the team over the finish line. 

“I feel like everybody on this team can score,” Taylor said. “Tonight, I just got it going early. Everybody can have a night like that, to be honest. We have a deep team and a lot of talented guys. I feel like on any given night, anybody can do that.”

Senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and freshman guard Trey Parker scored 13 points each, while senior wing Dontrez Styles added 10 points with six rebounds against Coastal Carolina. 

The Pack has a stable of scorers at its disposal, but Taylor has been the first to emerge as a scoring threat on a nightly basis this season. And he had to do most of it without O’Connell on the floor after he played just 16 minutes with foul trouble. 

“I’ll be the first to tell you, I need Michael O’Connell. He makes the game so much easier being a true point guard. His IQ, everything he brings to the table, he just makes it easier for me. It was really hard without Michael.”

If a tough night led to a season-best 22 points for Taylor, NC State is likely happy with that. And it’s probably looking forward to what he can do with the team’s point guard on the court alongside the scorer for starter’s minutes. But for now, the Wolfpack will take Taylor’s efficient night in game three of a young season.