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| MARGARET MYERS/Daily Maurice Taylor announces that he will leave Michigan to enter the NBA draft. His mother Cathy Williams looks on. |
Surrounded by family and friends, Taylor said at a news conference at Crisler Arena that it was time to pursue his lifelong dream, playing professional basketball.
"Achieving a dream is something you can't put into words," Taylor said. "All my life I wanted to be a professional basketball player. When I was a kid in the back yard, I always pretended to be an NBA player. I was Michael Jordan, he was someone that I looked up to, and I idolized. Maybe someday a little kid in his back yard will pretend to be Mo Taylor."
The junior forward said he didn't make the decision to leave Michigan until after the Wolverines beat Florida State to win the NIT championship. But speculation has existed since the beginning of Taylor's sophomore season that he would not play for four years at Michigan.
Taylor thought about turning pro after last season, but was convinced by Michigan coach Steve Fisher that he should stay because, in TaylorÕs words, "I wasn't ready from the neck up."
But this year the conversation was a bit different. Taylor thought he had matured considerably since the beginning of his junior season. Fisher agreed but still encouraged Taylor to stay. The two mulled over Taylor's decision over Whoppers at Burger King.
"He drove and he bought," Fisher said. "I said I want to talk first and I said, 'I don't want you to go. Now let's list reasons why you should stay.' So I took out a pad and I said, 'You tell me why you should stay,' and then I added to that and then I said, 'Tell me reasons why you should go,' and I added to that.
"I played devil's advocate a little bit, gave him more food for thought. It's not always a cut-and-dry issue as to why and how you do things," Fisher added. Although Taylor said he was still waffling about his decision as late as this week, he denied that NCAA rules violations and an ongoing investigation influenced his decision to leave.
What Taylor said helped him make up his mind was his performance in the NIT. He averaged 16 points and 7.7 rebounds during his final seven games in a Michigan uniform. And it didn't hurt that the Wolverines won a tournament title in his last game.
"Winning the NIT title played into my decision because I played so well," Taylor said. "There is a saying that you're only as good as your last game, and now everybody can say that Mo Taylor went out a champion."
Taylor, the fourth Wolverine since 1993 to leave school early, said he expects to be one of the top 15 picks in the NBA Draft.
But others aren't quite as enthusiastic.
ESPN draft analyst Don Leventhal ranks Taylor as the 23rd-best prospect. This year's draft is considered to be relatively weak, and Leventhal said that if Taylor impresses NBA scouts in pre-draft workouts in Chicago, he could raise his stock a bit.
"He needs to go to the camp in Chicago and show people something," Leventhal said. "He has a decent jump shot and a good inside game, but what sets others apart from him is that he's inconsistent. He needs to work harder and show NBA teams (he can be consistent)."
Taylor is required to go to Chicago for a physical examination but does not have to stay for the pre-draft camp. He said he would work out for individual teams, but wasn't sure if he would participate in the camp.
Taylor's teammates -- four of whom were in attendance at his press conference -- said the whole team supported his decision to enter the draft. Michigan co-captain Robert Traylor said he even encouraged Taylor to pursue an NBA career.
"All I can say is, the NBA better watch out, because he's going to be a great player," Traylor said.
Taylor was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year two seasons ago: He averaged 12.5 points and five rebounds per game, starting 28 of the Wolverines' 30 contests. He improved on those numbers in his sophomore season, but he didn't fulfill most people's expectations.
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