Taylor hit the ground running in his first season. He reshaped his body and trimmed his weight by 30 pounds in the preseason and then was thrust into the starting line-up after an early season injury to Tim Frazier and went on to start 18 games while playing in all 31. A pick and pop, stretch four with a confident three-point shot (he was third on the team with 32 threes), he was a very effective perimeter scorer over the first half of the season before struggling to maintain that pace in the second half of the year. With over 600 minutes of playing experience under his belt and year to adapt to a leaner, chiseled body, he is expected to be a key component in the Lion line-up and will work to add a developed post game to his strong perimeter skills and rebounding. The 2012 Times of Trenton Player-of-the-Year is one of four players on the 2013-14 roster with strong ties to Philadelphia having played AAU basketball with Team Philly and attended high school at Trenton Catholic Academy, approximately 35 miles north of the city.
"Brandon put in a lot of work in the off-season and really changed his body. We love his work ethic and attitude. He has a tremendous skill set and a Big Ten body that will allow him to play on the perimeter and in the post."
- Patrick Chambers
2012-13 • FRESHMAN
Taylor played in all 31 games and started 18 in his first season...cut his weight by 30 pounds in the preseason...he finished second on the team in threes (32) and fifth in scoring (5.3) and rebounding (3.3) while playing 20.2 minutes per game...scored in double-figures in six games...made first career start in a win over Bucknell (11/23) and posted a career high 16 points on 4-of-8 from three...entered starting line-up after injury to Tim Frazier...led Penn State shooting 37.8 percent (17-45) from three in the non-conference season...averaged 7.2 ppg in the non-conference season with five double-figure scoring games in an eight game stretch...saw his three-point percentage drop to 22 percent (15-67) in the Big Ten season...led the team in scoring with 11 points at Purdue (1/13)...posted back-to-back double digit scoring games with 10 vs. Akron (11/18) and 16 vs. Bucknell hitting 6-of-12 from three over the stretch...scored 14 points on 2-of-4 from three vs. Army (12/8)...hit 3-of-6 from three for 11 points and added a career high seven rebounds vs. Penn (12/1)...had 10 points vs. New Hampshire...played a season high 33 minutes vs. Delaware State (12/15)...had nine points vs. Nebraska (1/19) and eight at Iowa (1/31)...scored in his first career points vs. No. 6 North Carolina State in the Puerto Rico Tipoff.
HIGH SCHOOL
Recorded 1,042 points at Trenton Catholic Academy to rank 14th all-time on the school's scoring chart...Helped lead TCA to a 96-21 overall record during his career...Named the Times of Trenton 2012 Player of the Year after averaging 15.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in leading the Iron Mikes to the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public B championship game for the second time...Third-team New Jersey Non-Public All-State selection by the New Jersey Star-Ledger... Scored 41 points in TCA's first round NJSIAA tournament victory over Koinonia...Trenton went 10-0 to win the Liberty Division of the Burlington County Scholastic League...Averaged 11.7 points per game as a junior as he helped lead the team to a 19-6 record...The Iron Mikes fell in the semifinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public South B Tournament in a two-point game in which Taylor recorded 14 points and had 15 rebounds...Posted a season high 25 points earlier in the year...Helped Trenton Catholic to the 2010 New Jersey Non-Public B State Championship with a victory over perennial powerhouse St. Anthony and an eventual championship crown in the NJSIAA (all classes) Tournament of Champions as a sophomore...Helped lead his AAU squad, Team Philly, to several tournament titles...Excelled in several head-to-head battles with other high Division I recruits...Recorded a 3.3 overall grade-point average.
PERSONAL
Born Aug. 1, 1994 in Willingboro, N.J....full name is Brandon Alexander Taylor...the son of Audrey Campbell and Byron Taylor...has an older brother, Jayson...his cousin, Tiffany Stansbury, was a two-time All-ACC selection at N.C. State and played in the WNBA...she currently plays professionally overseas...his uncle, Terence Stansbury, played at Temple and three seasons in the NBA.
