Vince Taylor Sighting...

I've always liked losers. I think it goes back to my elementary school basketball team, which won 1 games in the 2 years I played basketball. When picking teams, I'd rather be on the underdog. I'm sure there is something to be understood about my personality from it, but I'd rather be the best player on a bad team than the 4th option on a good team. So maybe that explains why I was a big Brooke Steppe fan when GaTech first came into the league. And I guess that explains why for one brief period in my life, Duke was my favorite team. After Banks, Dennard, and Gminski were gone, Duke sucked, I was a Duke Fan, and Vince Taylor was THE MAN. I loved this guys game.

Hadn't heard from him since, although I guess I didn't look very hard. Anyway, he's surfaced on Tubby's Staff

Head Basketball Coach Tubby Smith Announces Staff

Vince Taylor – Assistant Coach
Vince Taylor joins Coach Smith’s staff after spending the previous two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. With the T-Wolves, Taylor was responsible for player development.

Prior to arriving in Minnesota, Taylor spent seven seasons as an assistant at the University of Louisville, four under Rick Pitino and three under Denny Crum. While with the Louisville program, Taylor earned the reputation as one of the nation’s top recruiters. He helped the Cardinals land a top-five recruiting class in 2001 under Pitino that included McDonald’s All-American Carlos Hurt. Taylor was also heavily responsible for the recruitment of Reece Gaines to Louisville. Gaines was a four-year starter and was named third team All-American as a senior. Gaines was the 15th pick of the 2003 NBA Entry Draft. In 2005, Louisville returned to the Final Four with many Taylor’s recruits including Francisco Garcia. Garcia was then selected at the 23rd pick in the 2005 Draft by Sacramento.

Before joining the Louisville staff in 1998, Taylor was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh (1997-98) and briefly at the University of Wyoming (1998).

Before Taylor began his coaching career, he spent 13 seasons playing professional basketball in Europe, including the last two as a player/assistant coach in the Belgian professional league. Additionally, he averaged 3.1 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 31 contests with the New York Knicks in 1982-83 after being selected by the team in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1982 NBA Draft. Taylor was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 1983-84 before beginning his European career in 1984, initially in Italy (1984-86), then moving to France (1986-92) and finishing his career in Belgium (1992-97).

A standout guard at Duke University, Taylor earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference and honorable mention All-America honors as a senior (1981-82) by averaging 20.3 points per game. During Taylor’s collegiate career, the Blue Devils won the 1979 ACC regular season championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice (1979 and 1980) and National Invitational Tournament once (1981). Taylor, who scored 1,445 career collegiate points, finished his career as one of the top 10 scorers in Duke history. He once held the school record by playing in 120 consecutive games.

A 1982 graduate of Duke with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Taylor was named to the President’s List at Duke his senior year. That honor is awarded to only five percent of the student body, and is based on contributions to the university and academic achievements.

Taylor prepped at Tates Creek High School, where he was a McDonald’s high school All-American as a senior in 1978 while averaging 29.3 points and 11 rebounds per game.

A native of Lexington, Ky., Taylor has two children: son, Brendan, and, daughter, Maya.