NC State’s Jayden Taylor dreamed of winning championships, now he’s living it

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Growing up, Jayden Taylor would tell his third-grade teacher he was bound to be a professional basketball player in the future. He dreamed of winning championships in the process. 

While Taylor dreamed of becoming a star basketball player, it might have seemed like it was eons away. But that changed for Taylor when he arrived at NC State this season after he spent the previous two campaigns at Butler in his hometown. 

And the byproduct of joining the Wolfpack turned out to be exactly what Taylor wanted to accomplish as a young hooper in Indianapolis. The red and white has cut down two sets of nets in the last month with the ACC Tournament title and the South Regional crown last weekend in Dallas. 

NC State is in the Final Four, a stage that many dreamed of being on. Taylor, who hails from a basketball-crazy state in Indiana was no different. Those notes to his teacher, Mrs. Wolfe, are a reality.

“Basketball has always been the main thing for everybody. That’s always been my escape, to always play basketball,” Taylor said in his locker at the Final Four. “So when I was writing that to my teacher, I really meant those words. I want to be a professional basketball player, I want to win championships. I want to do all those stuff I wrote, so it’s crazy to see this all happening.”

It has not been a straightforward path to this moment for Taylor this season. He has appeared in all 40 games with 29 starts, but he was removed from the starting lineup for the first time at Clemson on Feb. 17. 

He was moved to the bench after he began struggling offensively. He was averaging just over 9 points a game for a nine-game stretch, so a change of scenery was implemented. Then Taylor caught fire. 

Taylor soon went on to have three 20-plus point games in a four-game stretch to close the regular season. His new role off the bench helped on the offensive end, he thought. Taylor was able to watch from the sidelines to see what was working and what was not for his teammates. He was able to use that to his advantage and capitalize on the floor. 

While Taylor is a capable scorer, his biggest impact during the Wolfpack’s nine-game winning streak to get to the Final Four has come on the defensive end of the court. The Butler transfer was looked at as an elite defender in the transfer portal, and it is paying off now. 

NC State coach Kevin Keatts thought Taylor has been the “unsung hero” of the Wolfpack’s tournament run. 

“He’s been really, really good for us defensively,” Keatts said. “I think he’s one of the guys that really anchors our defense, get involved. … When he came here, he was trying to do too much. Now he’s comfortable in what he’s doing, handling the basketball, getting on in transition. I’ll tell you what, he’s another guy that has been so important to our run.”

For many players, coming off the bench after being a consistent starter for the first 24 games, it would be tough. Taylor, though, embraced the change. 

“It’s doing whatever the team needs, to be honest with you,” Taylor said. “Early in the year, I was scoring a lot more. But if they need me to come in and guard the best player for 10 minutes, I’m going to go do that. We’re winning and it’s all about winning, honestly.”

When Taylor does enter the game, he draws the opposing player’s top guard on the defensive end. In the NCAA Tournament that meant taking turns on Oakland’s Jack Gohlke, being the primary defender on Marquette’s Tyler Kolek or drawing the plethora of elite guards from Duke. 

And each time, Taylor has risen to the occasion. 

NC State point guard Michael O’Connell raved about Taylor’s ability to make his presence felt off the bench. 

“You’re pretty much bringing a starter off the bench,” O’Connell said. “It’s not like you’re bringing a guy that doesn’t deserve to start. You’re bringing in a guy that’s an immediate scorer and an immediate impact. He’s obviously one of our best defenders and he comes in and puts pressure on the opposing guards, and it makes their lives harder and our lives easier.”

Taylor’s role in the Wolfpack’s run is one that has not been overlooked, and he will volunteer to do almost anything to help NC State continue to advance in the NCAA Tournament. 

“With this team, we’ve got so many guys, night in and night out, that can do anything,” Taylor said. “Whatever the team needs, I’m willing to. Whether that’s the dirty work, going to shoot or just chasing somebody around, I’m willing to do that.”

Now, Taylor is ready for the Final Four. He dreamed of it as a child growing up Indiana, and he will see one of the state’s premier college basketball programs on the court at State Farm Stadium on Saturday: top-seeded Purdue. 

Though he did not grow up a fan of the Boilermakers, Indiana University was his preference, he thought the matchup against Purdue was one written in Hollywood.  

“That’s going to be crazy, honestly,” Taylor said. “It’s a full-circle moment. I still haven’t even put it all in perspective. It’s surreal.”