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Logan • As Utah State's game against Air Force approached last Tuesday night, redshirt freshman Quinn Taylor had little reason to expect he'd play a critical role against the Falcons.
A few minutes here.
A few minutes there.
In four previous Mountain West Conference games, Taylor scored seven points and grabbed nine rebounds in 21 minutes while backing up fellow "bigs" Lew Evans, Jalen Moore, Grayson Moore and Elston Jones.
That was his job.
When Evans began suffering concussion symptoms after hitting his head on the court in practice, however, coach Tim Duryea informed Taylor that he would start against the Falcons.
"It was a pretty crazy 24 hours," Taylor said. "I hadn't played that much in a game since 2012 in high school. It was fun. I got a little tired, but I'll get used to it."
A 6-foot-8 forward from Houston, Taylor finished with four points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes during Utah State's 79-60 win over Air Force. Defensively, he was in the middle of an effort that limited the Falcons to 36.8 percent shooting and held leading scorer Trevor Lyons without a field goal.
"All I wanted to do," he said, "was not let the team down."
With Evans' availability still uncertain for Saturday's game at Colorado State, Taylor will likely make his second start.
"… Quinn has done a good job for us," coach Duryea said. "Things just kind of turn out [well] when he's on the floor. He's a great execution guy."
Duryea, then an assistant, recruited Taylor out of Langham Creek High School. As a senior, he averaged a modest 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
"I talked to a couple of schools closer to home," Taylor said. "And Air Force talked to me. So did a couple of smaller schools. But I felt Utah State was a good fit for me and my situation. I decided pretty quickly to come here."
During his redshirt season of 2012-13, the Aggies finished 21-10. But they struggled with injuries and lost five of their last nine games.
"It was tough, being so far from home," Taylor said. "It was different being in Utah. But I loved the team. I got along with everybody. … Everybody got injured, though. It was hard sitting on the bench when only six or seven players dressed for a game. I wished I was out there playing,"
Then-head coach Stew Morrill didn't have a choice. Taylor came to Utah State on an academic scholarship and couldn't play. After the season, he went on a two-year LDS Church mission to Brazil.
"It was great," he said. "I loved it. I enjoyed it. It really was a great time. It changed my life."
But …
With only three months left on his mission, Taylor heard Morrill was retiring. Until Duryea was named head coach, he did not know whether his basketball scholarship would be waiting for him.
"I said, 'Oh no, where am I going to end up,' he recalled. " … It's a good thing coach Duryea got the job."
Taylor returned to Houston on June 17. He spent five days at home before leaving for Utah State, where he resumed classes and started the long process of getting back into shape.
"It was pretty difficult," Taylor said. "I was a little slower. I winded fast. But the coaches helped. They didn't pressure me into trying to get back too fast. They knew it would take time."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Utah State at Colorado State
P At Moby Arena
Tipoff • 2 p.m.
Online • ESPN3
Radio • 610 AM, 1280 AM, 95.1 FM, 97.5 FM, 102.1 FM
Records • Utah State 10-6, 2-3, Colorado State 10-7, 2-2
Series • Utah State, 55-36
Last meeting • Colorado State, 75-70 (March 7, 2015)
About the Aggies • They come off a 79-60 win over Air Force. … They are 3-3 on the road, including losses at Duke (85-52), BYU (80-76) and New Mexico (77-59). … They shoot 33.5 percent on 3-pointers, including 24-for-97 in the the last four games (.247). … Their top scorers are junior F Jalen Moore (15.3) and senior G Chris Smith (13.3). … Over the last three games, Moore averaged 18.3 points.
About the Rams • They are 7-3 at home. … Their four Mountain West Conference games have been decided by 13 points. … They are the top scoring team in the conference (82.3). … They lead the Mountain West in 3-point shooting percentage (.382). … Their top scorers are senior G Antwan Scott (13.8), junior G John Gillon (11.9) and junior F Emmanuel Omogbo (11.8).