B.J. Taylor will miss the rest of the season for the UCF Knights with a lower leg contusion that just has not healed properly for the sophomore guard.
B.J. Taylor will miss the remainder of the UCF Knights’ 2016 basketball season, the team announced Wednesday. Taylor had missed all of UCF’s season to this point with what was being described as a lower leg contusion.
“After a few months of rehabbing, B.J.’s lower leg injury has not healed as quickly as expected,” UCF coach Donnie Jones said in a press release. “Due to the injury needing much more time to heal, we have decided to redshirt B.J. this season. He is a valuable member of our team, both on and off the court, but we feel this will give B.J. the appropriate amount of time to get back to 100 percent. We look forward to his return to the court next season.”
Taylor averaged a team-high 12.8 points per game last year. He was expected to improve his shooting and carry a big chunk of the scoring load for this more athletic, versatile team.
His absence has certainly been felt, particularly at point guard. The Knights have platooned senior Daiquan Walker and freshman Chance McSpadden. McSpadden has begun hitting a bit of a rookie wall.
The Knights have become a much more balanced team this year without Taylor. But they definitely need someone to force some action and create opportunities for other. This is very much what Taylor was expected to do.
But even before the announcement things were looking bleak for Taylor.
“It’s his pain in his foot,” Jones said after Tuesday’s win over Bethune-Cookman. “He has to go on how it feels for him. Right now the pain is still too bad for him to be effective even to practice.”
Players have said Taylor is working as hard as they have seen anyone work to get back into the fold. Maybe even to his detriment. This news is certainly disappointing for him. The sophomore though will get a chance next year with an extra year of eligibility.
The Knights have had to play without him so far this season, getting out to a 6-4 start, including a four-game win streak.
UCF has played some solid offense, posting a 104.1 adjusted offensive rating, according to KenPom with a 52.7 percent effective field goal percentage. The Knights have been able to spread the floor and get shots in.
Taylor certainly would have thrived in that environment. With most of the players returning next year — Daiquan Walker and Shaheed Davis are the only seniors getting regular minutes — he could fit right back into the offense.
The Knights though will have to find a way to keep this all up with American play starting up soon and a big home game against No. 20 George Washington next week at CFE Arena.
