Beaver Country Day (Mass.) forward/center Jacquil Taylor would have been a name many in the recruiting world would have talked about this summer. However a breakout AAU season was erased before it even began when Taylor suffered a lisfranc fracture in his left foot back on Jan. 19.
Despite the setback, the 6-foot-8 Taylor is bound for the Big Ten, committing to Purdue following an official visit this past weekend. He picked the Boilermakers over Providence, St. Joseph’s and North Carolina A&T, where his brother Maurice is a freshman.
“What stood out to me was not so much the basketball, but the education as well,” Taylor told NBC Sports on Tuesday night. “They have a very good digital arts program.
“From a basketball standpoint it’s all you can ask for. They’re in the best conference, and they play anyone.”
The injury kept him sidelined for about eight months. He was able to start dribbling and stationary shooting by mid-July. He says that he is a 90 percent, and the only discomfort is that his foot get sore after playing. Although he didn’t get to showcase his abilities in the Nike EYBL like he was planning on doing this summer, he says he is determined to make up for that in the Boilermakers uniform.
“This is big-time motivation. Some teams that were recruiting me before stopped recruiting,” Taylor added. “Then Purdue gave me a chance, so motivates me to play even harder.”
He has one more season at Beaver Country Day located in Brookline, and he plans on regaining the NEPSAC Class B title after his Beavers failed to repeat following his injury.