Trojans Collect More Votes in Latest Top-25 Poll
UPLAND, Ind. – No. 24 Taylor received 20 more votes after reaching the NAIA top-25 for the first time last week but fell one spot to No. 24 as the season continues to shake out.
No. 24 Taylor beat a pair of unranked Crossroads League and dropped a contest against No. 1 Grace, who remains undefeated. The Trojans eked out a 70-69 win on the road over Spring Arbor and led for over 38 minutes in an 83-77 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene at home before the loss to the Lancers.
A balanced and efficient offense continues to pace Taylor, with a 49.4 field goal percentage, 39.0 percentage from beyond the arc, and a robust 18.9 assists per game. Pete Combs leads TU with a 67.9 shooting percentage, which is 11th in the NAIA and tops in the Crossroads League. Freshman Carson Gould paces the Trojans with 4.8 assists per game, while junior Izaiah Day is averaging three triples a game at a pristine 45.4 percent.
The defense has also continued to improve and has held its past eight opponents to eight or more points under their season average. Taylor excellence denying assists and blocking shots has them ranked in the top-40 in the NAIA in both categories. The glass is another area TU has improved, ranking 21st in rebounding margin at 6.8 and 32nd in rebounds per game with 39.4. Levin Smith leads the squad with 1.3 blocks per game and freshman Nathan Baker controls the glass with a team-leading 5.8 rebounds per contest off the bench.
The Crossroads League remains well represented with No. 1 Grace, No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan, and No. 10 Bethel joining TU in the rankings, while RV Huntington continues to receive votes.
No. 24 Taylor (16-4, 8-2 CL) continues its season on Wednesday, January 28th against cross-county rival No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan (17-3, 7-3 CL) on the road in Crossroads League action tipping at 7:00 pm.