Neither Myers Park or Richmond Senior has ever won a NCHSAA state basketball championship. That will change Saturday when the teams meet for the title. Myers Park coach Scott Taylor discussed the matchup on Talking Preps

By Langston Wertz Jr. / The Charlotte Observer

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And we are now joined by coach Scott Taylor coach how are you today I'm great Randall western side buddy western side Oh yeah I guess that would make sense my Bad my bad thank you uh coach uh I want To talk about you know obviously we talk About Bishop Boswell we talk about Sir Muhammad we talk about uh you know AJ White I think that for me the biggest Change in the last 12 months has been You know Elijah strong he looks a little Bit different on the court Um from a leadership standpoint can you Just talk about how his impact on this Team has been different Um I was reading following back on some Stuff this morning and uh somebody was Writing a little bit about it and they Talked about how he how emotional he Plays and Um how much he kind of leads with his Emotion and his energy Um and that's that's the truth he's been That way ever since he showed up his Freshman year he walked in the gym that First summer and uh we were doing a Workout and he asked to guard Drake Maybe one-on-one and he uh he kind of Caught it a little bit that day Um but he's he's been that person from The time he's got here and as his game Has grown Um and he's grown up a little bit and Matured

Um everybody's seen the consistency in His personality Um and been able to follow through with That I mean he's a he's a lovable Likable kid uh he's been loyal and he's Just continued to work and I think That's that's something that our younger Guys and guys have been around a long Time have seen the Um the fruits of his labor and how Um he's just been able to now put it Together and be consistent Um his conditioning is improved his Athleticism has improved uh but him as a Person has always stayed the same and uh His his energy and his uh he's just he's Always so excited to be out there and He's so excited for his team and his School Um it's hard not to love that Coach congratulations I want to make a Couple points and ask you a couple Questions as well but first of all you Know you prepared this team by playing a Really tough non-conference schedule and Also you know going on the road to a Team like Carmel and that thing helped Prepared you for this playoff run my Next thing I wanted to compliment you Guys on is I look at your roster and you Have all these high major prospects you Know Bishop Boswell sir Muhammad AJ White Elijah strong and how did you get All these guys to buy in to the team

First philosophy that you guys have Displayed so nicely and on the court Uh to be honest coach Lewis it kind of Piggies back piggybacks a little bit on What we were just talking about with Elijah Elijah's two-time conference Player of the Year and Um he knew that we had to continue to Improve and as those younger guys as sir And AJ grew last year with us Um and Bishop coming in this year Knowing them and being you know being Around regardless he um he didn't Necessarily take a back seat as far as What we were asking of him but he knew That's supposed to be really good we had To be able to be better across the board And Um him being willing to kind of uh Invite that uh and then when you have Guys like like sir and his ability to Distribute and get get other guys Involved and find open looks for team Walters and Santana Lynch and Jacob Brazon and all these other guys Um I think they all just begin to build Off of that uh with each other and They're excited for each other Um we really Played our best basketball when we've Been Um when we've we've had some even Distribution uh the last several games We've had three often times four guys in

Double digits and that's hard to guard Um and sometimes earlier in the year we Would win some games but we'd have a Couple guys that have a big game a Couple guys that weren't producing uh a Ton in numbers they would still defend And do what we were asking them but we We couldn't quite find our offensive Flow and as we've been able to keep guys Engaged and be more efficient in what We're doing with our offense it just Makes us tough to guard Um and again I I give Elijah and Sir a Lot of credit for that but AJ and Bishop And those other guys that play off of Them Um have bought into what's been asked of Them because they understand that it Makes us a really difficult guard Coach coming into the state championship You guys are playing with a lot of Confidence and you know you got all the Motivation in the world now the one Thing about it is you played Richmond Early in the year and beat them pretty Handily How difficult will it be going into the Locker room in this week in preparation To make sure the kids don't get too Overconfident by looking at the early Season score and outcome Uh to be honest not a bit Um I haven't worried about that at all Um two parts to that I trust our kids

Our kids know Um that it doesn't matter if it was Holly Springs or Richmond or it could Have been you know Durham Jordan and Anybody else that came from over there You're playing for a state championship Um it's whether you've played them or Not uh the chance to be able to go to Chapel Hill and finish off our season in That regard for first time Myers Park Um I I don't worry about their approach To that Um and you guys are gonna help us a Little bit uh because everybody in Richmond County is happy to remind us That Paul didn't play that first game You've heard of Plenty about it we heard About it that night because he had just Gotten back to school that day Um and uh to be honest that was the Reason we scheduled the game Um I wanted the game that first year Um against them and and also I mean now AC Reynolds was a good one for us it was A good one for them but we had Paul and Ricky's Passmore Um two top players in that class and Both of them have been high seeds in in The playoffs uh they were great for us To play at a conference Um so we're excited about it I mean it's The first game of the year uh then we'll Present totally different challenges That they did that night

Um I've watched a little bit of that Game this morning and man we were Excited to play they were excited to Play but I think you got two totally Different teams than you had that day Back in November uh I don't think that The game necessarily looks anything like That game that was played then Um and you got two teams that are that Are representative of really really Proud uh tradition rich communities that Are going to be excited to play that Night and um I really don't think that That that leads much into it for for our Young guys if it does then honestly We're probably not as many tough and and Prepared to be in this position as I Thought we were and I just I just don't Believe that's the case well watching The game yesterday against North Mecklenburg I was very impressed um Overall by the game plan that you guys Put out and the thing that I was Impressed with was you never got sped up Anytime during the game y'all were Really patient in the half court you ran Your sets some beautiful sets and a half Court nice sets out of Baseline out of Bounds and you know you're going up Against a team like Myers Park where you Got you know a 6-3 Santana Lynch who can Come in you know you sort of forget About Santana Lynch but you know he's a Sniper from the outside shooting 47

Percent from three Um you got Sam Walters these are guys That can light it up so you can't really Help too much off on the others but you Got Elijah strong you got sir Muhammad And AJ white and Bishop Boswell the size That you guys have is like a college Team and I was just so impressed with The continuity yesterday that you guys Just played on the court the way you Guys executed and I said it in several You guys look like a college team on the Court yesterday well thank you that I Appreciate that the kids were really Well prepared and they I mean that was One thing that we talked about was we we Had to run really efficient offense in Order for us to be able to help our Defense yesterday and guarding Garden North Garden Isaiah Garden tray Garden Christian all those guys Um is hard enough in the half Um and we believe in our principles we Believe in what we do we've been Convicted in that but if you're not Running good offense we're taking shots Outside of what uh we're accustomed to What we expect then it allows them to Play in transition and the the matchups To find people in there is so much more Difficult so we we understand that it's Both sides for us to be able to be a Good defensive team uh we have to be Able to be coordinated on the offensive

End and understand what we're looking For and uh there are there are multiple Options for us which is great um and Then you get into the third quarter and We can pound the ball inside to eat Um it's kind of like running the ball Um and you continue to hit them at the Paint and make them play 94 feet it just Just it's tough we understand that so I Think our guys understand that if we can Be efficient offensively uh find the Right shot for us and that was one thing That I talked about was um not Necessarily trying to go blow for blow We didn't have to match those shots when Isaiah started hitting stuff in the Third uh we weren't trying to hit the Same shot back we needed to make sure That we had one really good offensive Possession for us and Richmond will be The same they're going to speed us up They trap ball screens in one press they Want to do some stuff to get you out of Their timing Um so we're gonna have to be really Intentional on making sure that we're Making good decisions not turning the Ball over and making them make them play Basketball on both ends coach last point I want to make and a follow-up question With you is you know I think the thing That also impressive about your Performance yesterday was your overall Defense and I think Myers Park is

Probably under the radar as far as how Well guys you guys are defensively you Guys denied the pass you had great weak Side help and then in my opinion sir Muhammad and Bishop Boswell two of the Best ball defenders in the state North Carolina Yeah they're they're different guys Um they they present different Challenges when you put them on the ball But that's that's part of uh what makes Us difficult is we can switch it up on Them a little bit um we we want to make Sure that other teams are um not Necessarily able to get into the flow And if we can dictate where some of Their catches are happening where their Actions are happening and we can load up Uh and continue with really consistent Ball pressure Um it really disrupts offenses and Timing Um and bigger than that being able to Contest shots uh and and have weak side Rebounding position and and yesterday Um they they were all in on that Um and really consistent and even almost To a bigger Point not dropping your head When they do make a tough shot I mean You're playing some of the best Basketball in the region guys are going To make some shots um so we just have to Be able to Um make sure that we're being proactive

In trying to initiate where that Offensive stuff happens Um and then if we need to try to make Some switch up a little bit and put a Little different look at people we're Lucky enough to have the versatility be Able to do that then when you have AJ or E or even Santana's uh switch out on Somebody it uh it puts more pressure on Everybody so those guys have been really Good at that all year and we hope we can Get one more out of them Coach uh congratulations on this Milestone I want to follow up on that Defensive mindset right there you know I'm a big defensive guy Can you name maybe just one or two Things for the AG for the average fan Out there to focus on and watching your Team this weekend all right there's a There's a lot of talk about how this Team could be chasing greatness and we Know what you can do on the defensive End given what you just said in the Layman's term one or two things that the Average fan should be looking for and What your team can do defensively where They could figure out Oh there it might want to do something Different or man this team is great on The defensive end just one or two things They can look for cool Alex uh it starts With ball pressure Um and usually the the the head of the

Stake or the point of attacks probably Gonna be Bishop uh guarding the ball Um and with that uh our our switches Have to be urgent we have to be at the Level of the ball when we're switching We have to be urgent on that we don't we Don't want to drop give any uh Opportunity for God to be able to come Off of any dribble handoffs or ball Screens below the screen Um and then our help side needs to be Early and if we're early uh and we can We can have guys in a position to be Available to help and and help on the Back side like I said finishing up uh Defensive rebounds we're doing a really Nice job Um if if teams are getting getting past This off the bounce and we're having to Overhelp and we're uh they're kicking The ball out and getting open looks Where we're not able to contest in time Then we're in some oh Um so again it'll start with the ball Pressure it'll start with guys being Early to help and and uh being able to Kind of Um stunt in there and be able to close Down those gaps and then finish them With defensive rebounds All right coach last I'm gonna get you Out of here Um this game not being played at NC State moving over to UNC what are your

Thoughts on that and then also let's Talk about the Regionals you know Semifinals and and finals and kind of The overcrowding situation as well It was overcrowded in there yesterday It's a little bit a little bit I heard Some people had trouble getting into the Game yesterday coach Um I mean going to Chapel Hill is great um For one thing it doesn't doesn't mess up My mojo like we went back in November I Took the team down there we got on the Court we were able to visualize where we Wanted to be so if we were at NC State Then I I kind of looked like I didn't Know what I was getting right so stay Healthy out with that Um but You know I I'm glad that we're there Because I think it probably gives us an Opportunity to have some more Mustangs In there Um that's probably the biggest thing for Me but I mean if we're playing Steve I I Wasn't going to really have a complaint About it we get a chance to play for a State championship and whatever there's There's what what six 15 other teams are Playing for state championships too that That all want to have an opportunity Um and are excited about it and I know They have a lot of things to to consider For that so great yeah 7 30 on Saturday

I mean it feels like prime time it feels Like we're finishing where we should Start or where we started Um and we'll have a ton of support in There and Richmond's going to have a ton Of support in there too so it's going to Be Phil it's going to be excited but Um I mean in total honesty I wouldn't Have been complaining if we were in Raleigh we're just happy to be playing And practicing one more week Um The Regionals you know I said this Yesterday in one of the post game Interviews that I recognize the state Catches a lot of grief on some of that Stuff Um they're doing the best they can with It uh for I was really uh thankful that CMS and and Miss Turner and the ads from Uh Olympics and Miss Wilkerson and Fowler for me support his neck and Elijah Ashley at Independence and and The people over in Providence were Willing to host because we could have Been we could have been at Freedom uh we Could have been a couple hours away and Um you know so yeah sure when I was in High school we played in menges at East Carolina and we played in Crown Coliseum And and that was always the goal to get There and it was cool and I know in the Past it's been at Wake Forest but Um you know there's like I said there's Other things went into that I'm sure

Above my pay grade Um I was just happy we had a bunch of People in there yesterday that our People are excited to be there that They're willing to even be upset that They can't get in there it could be a Lot worse we could add um plenty of Tickets available and people not coming To watch so I'm gonna have a hard time Uh really throwing out a ton of Complaints on things like that uh but if We want to go bigger and try to do Something else I think the one thing and I know you got to get going is I do Think it's cool for all four Classifications to be played on the Saturday in the same place I think that It would be fun for our guys to see the 3A game you know whether it been before Us or after us um or uh you know having Those four classifications in one site On that Saturday is pretty cool Um but you know I don't I'm not really Sure what the the decision makers have To think about when they consider all That stuff Well coach I appreciate you for being on Here I know it was a lot longer than you Anticipated and probably wanted to be Here with us today so we thank you for That and uh good luck Saturday night Congratulations thanks to y'all there Appreciate it

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