Former Wisconsin Badger Jordan Taylor inducted into UW HOF
MADISON, Wis. (BVM) — The University of Wisconsin has had some great basketball players like Devin Harris, Michael Finley and Frank Kaminsky suit up for the program. Along with those former players, another Badger great, Jordan Taylor, was recently honored for his contributions on the court.
High school career
As a senior, Taylor’s high school basketball career reached a high point. Playing for Benilde-St. Margaret in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, Taylor averaged 22.3 points and 7.1 assists. He was awarded the 2007-08 Gatorade Minnesota Basketball Player of the Year. Taylor also helped the Red Knights capture a state title in 2008.
Taylor’s other impressive feats at the high school level included becoming the all-time leading scorer for the Red Knights with 2,068 points and earning North Suburban Conference MVP.
Taylor drew the attention of many DI basketball programs, but he decided to continue his academic and athletic career in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin career
When he set foot in Madison, Taylor would see playing time right away for the Badgers. He appeared in 33 games and averaged the most minutes among the UW freshmen with 13.2. It was clear that Taylor was primed to have a successful career with the Badgers.
As a sophomore, he started 17 games and led the Big Ten with a plus-3.03 assist-to-turnover ratio. That was also good for third in the nation. Taylor had 118 total assists, which was the most by a Badger player since Devin Harris had 141 in 2004.
Taylor would have arguably his best campaign in the 2010-11 season when he started in 34 games for the Badgers and recorded 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
Taylor helped lead an upset of No. 1 Ohio State at the Kohl Center.
Taylor and the Badgers made an appearance in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, where they made it to the Sweet 16. The squad wound up losing to the eventual national runner-up Butler Bulldogs.
The following year, Taylor was primed to have another promising season as he was named to the Preseason All-American team. The only other Wisconsin player at the time to accomplish that feat was Michael Finley (1994-1995).
Overall, Taylor appeared in all 136 games and made 87 starts throughout his UW career. And his career assist-to-turnover ratio (3.01) is still a school record today.
Professional career
Taylor decided to try his hand at the NBA after his collegiate career. However, he would go undrafted and join the Atlanta Hawks Summer League team.
Unfortunately, Taylor couldn’t make the roster, so he decided to travel overseas and try his hand there. He signed with Virtus Roma shortly after and would go on to have two seasons with the team. He averaged 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his first season.
Taylor again tried his hand at the NBA, joining the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League team in 2014. Once again, he did not make an NBA roster and headed overseas.
He joined Hapoel Holon in Israel, recording 14.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Taylor would head to Germany to play for Alba Berlin. He’d only play one season there, averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 11.1 assists in 33 games. Taylor wound up back in Israel with Hapoel Holon and averaged 10.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. After another season in Israel, Taylor would bounce around from leagues in France and Japan.
Where is Taylor now?
Taylor is currently continuing his basketball career, but this time he has signed a deal with a team in Romania, U-BT Cluj-Napoca. There he’s continuing to play the game he loves so much.
Along with the joys of playing basketball Taylor has also received the distinction of being put in the UW Hall of Fame this year.
“It’s special,” Taylor told Mike Lucas of UWBadgers.com. “To see a culmination of hard work be rewarded.”
“This is one of the highest honors we can bestow on a Badger.”
Congrats to the UW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022!
🔗 https://t.co/hxzsYHsvGH pic.twitter.com/I1viu1vAf5
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) July 9, 2022
“I’ve learned that I’m pretty adaptable,” Taylor said. “It’s not easy playing overseas all the time. There are positives to it, of course. Like I said, I learned how to adapt, and I have a pretty high level of perseverance. To be still playing after eight surgeries in 10 years, I think, is pretty special.”
