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Checking in with Fil-Am college baller Taylor Statham

Filipino-American basketball player Taylor Statham of the University of California San Bernardino. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Statham)
Filipino-American basketball player Taylor Statham of the University of California San Bernardino. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Statham)

Back in July 2014, we featured a Filipino-American playing Division II NCAA basketball in the US, Taylor Statham of the University of California at San Bernardino (CSUSB).

Thirteen games into the NCAA season, and with his team 6-7 overall as of this writing, but 6-4 in California College Athletic Association (CCAA) conference play, we had the chance to correspond once again with Taylor to check on how he prepared for the season, his assessment of the season so far, and what he expects for its remainder, looking towards the future.

In July 2014, Taylor was busy rehabbing his body for the coming season, working through aches and pains. He did lifting and conditioning, using the school facilities at CSUSB. He and his younger brother, Hunter, began to train with professional trainer Keith Howard, who works with several pro players, including Darren Collision of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Because of this, he had the opportunity to train and play with and against pros practically every day, which Taylor thinks, made him grow as a player and as a person.

In early August 2014, Taylor traveled to Las Vegas for a Filipino basketball tournament. He was not familiar with many of the players, and only knew some who were also playing college ball, but he ended up making lots of friends and played superbly. He averaged almost 30 points per game, together with 11 rebounds and 6 assists. There were also some PBA D-League players and former PBA players that competed in the tournament, but unfortunately, Taylor cannot recall their names. Taylor’s team lost in the quarterfinals, but he scored 42 points. The games were very competitive that as the tournament progressed, more and more fans were at the venues to watch them.

By the end of August, Taylor flew to Chicago to play in the North American Basketball Association (NABA) tournament, which is the biggest Filipino-American tournament in the US. Players from every big city in the US, and even from Canada and Europe, participate. According to Taylor, he was overwhelmed at how intense the games were in this league and how packed the gyms were, with fans cheering so loudly it felt like a college rivalry game. He calls this tournament “the best of the best.”

Taylor was able to play with his close friend, Mark Jeffries, who played in the PBA D-League and in the Asean Basketball League (ABL), and, together, they were a one-two punch which helped bring their team to the championship game against a team that included 6’8 Filipino-German Christian Standhardinger, ABL veteran 6’7 Richard Smith (who once got into a fight with Asi Taulava in the ABL), and 6’4 guard Jace Tavita, who played NCAA Division I hoops for the Utah Utes.

Taylor, a 6’6 forward, averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists for the tournament. Disappointed at having lost the championship game, he is glad, though, that he made a lot of friends and keeps in touch with them until now. After initially feeling out of place on the East Coast, he and Jeffries were treated well by their host team, and they gained the respect of their teammates and opponents, making the experience a lot of fun in such a great basketball atmosphere.

In December 2014, Taylor had a chance to go home and spend the holidays with his family, including his tita (aunt) and cousin, who he says “look much more Filipino.” He hung out with his grandmother and other relatives, and his dad took him and Hunter to the gym to shoot hoops, but “just to have fun, not to work out.”

The NCAA season started in November 2014, and CSUSB got off to a slow start, losing four of their first six games. Taylor is one of just a pair of veterans, and has really had to step up as a leader and Team Captain on and off the court. Eleven of the thirteen players in the lineup are new, but as the games have gone on, the chemistry is clearly developing and the players, called the Coyotes, have been working very hard. They have won four of their last six, including two in a row, and, with a good conference standing, have a big chance of making it into postseason play.

Taylor commends the team’s coaches for stepping up and doing a great job motivating the entire team and getting the players ready for games. Considering the number of newcomers in the lineup, he recognizes the challenge of going up against teams that have been together for years, but acknowledges that he and all his teammates have put in the work and sacrificed, and are primed for a late-season surge.

Taylor feels he has “played ok.” He is happy with his defense and is usually tasked to guard the opponent’s best player. He had 15 points and 11 rebounds versus Cal State LA, and a season-high 18 points and 6 rebounds, and a late three-pointer to send the game into overtime, against Chico State. Averaging 10.5 points (second on the team) and five rebounds for the season so far, while leading the team in field goal and three point percentage and rebounding, he feels the need to increase his production and be more consistent to help the team. He acknowledges that he needs to stay out of foul trouble, something which hurt his team’s chances in some of their games.

He cautioned not to let the team’s record fool you. “As bad as we’ve played in my mind, we are only two games out of first place,” he said. Four of their seven losses came against highly-ranked teams, and were decided in the dying seconds, one even in overtime, all on the road. Unlike last season, where Taylor feels the team peaked too early, he thinks the Coyotes are getting better and better each game and, hopefully, with 12 regular season games left, the wins keep coming. He has not missed the postseason while at CSUSB and wants to end his career there during postseason play.

Taylor told me that he corresponds with two of his friends now playing here in the Philippines, Jawhar Purdy, who played for the AMA Titans in the PBA D-League, and Maverick Ahanmisi, who plays for Café France. He grew up with these two, so they all look out for each other and update each other about basketball and other matters.

Currently, Taylor is working on securing his dual citizenship papers. Once that is done, he will take the necessary steps to be able to play here in the Philippines. Other options are the ABL or Europe, as some scouts from Spain already contacted him and showed interest. One of his dreams is to play in the PBA, and he feels that will happen sooner or later. His focus now, though, is on the remaining games on the CSUSB schedule and getting his team into the NCAA tournament while hopefully winning another conference title this season.

You can follow Charlie on Twitter @CharlieC.