The 2022 class continues to head down the final stretch of their recruitment but the 2023 class is on deck with some potential blue chip talent and the state of Illinois is front and center in that conversation. One reason why is talented forward Javonte “J.J.” Taylor of Kenwood Academy.
A plus length 6-7 185 pound forward, Taylor has long been regarded as one of the prized 2023 prospects in the state of Illinois and his early high school returns have continued to provide evidence of that. A middle school prodigy, Taylor was exception the NY2LA Sports Generation Next Basketball middle school circuit and he’s continued to build on those exploits with more high level play at the high school level.
His physical tools drip with potential and upside as he both passes the look test and adds to it with length, strength, athleticism, etc. The talented junior doesn’t stop there as he also brings to the table some nice instincts and a developing skill package that includes an ability to finish in transition, the skill to use both hands finishing at the rim through traffic, an emerging back to the basket post game, and an ability to face the rim with a smooth perimeter stroke that extends well beyond the arc. In terms of his overall potential Taylor is really just walking into the room so there is a high ceiling still and he hasn’t even scratched the surface.
A projected blue chip talent, Taylor’s recruiting trail continues to fill up as he currently holds offers from Kentucky, Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina, Duke, Gonzaga, Florida, LSU, Maryland, DePaul, Michigan State, Nebraska, Tulane, Western Illinois, etc. Needless to say Taylor is in that category where he can pretty much pick up the phone and commit to any school in the country and he’s still far from a finished product. One of the premiere 2023’s in the country, Taylor stands to be one of the bigger stories in the nation over the next 10-12 months so you can expect to hear a lot about him both regionally and nationally.
He plays with the Mac Irvin Fire during the grassroots travel season.