4-1-Zoo: Stars From Night Two in Green Tree
PITTSBURGH — Night two came and went at the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro-Am in Green Tree and a few Pitt players had special performances.
Top performer of the night: Dante Taylor.
Taylor put on quite a show for the first hour or so. He was all over the court on both sides of the ball and was visibly in better shape from last year. I didn't get to see any action from night one, so this was my first time seeing him play this summer. He definitely impressed.
Taylor rebounded his own miss for a bucket, followed in transition for another and converted on a spinning jump hook for six points in the first half. He ran off 11 more points in the second half with strong moves down low amidst some heavy contact.
By my numbers, Taylor finished with 19 points on the night. I don't have official numbers, but did my best stat taking. As for rebounding, he was a monster on both sides of the floor. Few were able to battle a board away from him. Taylor was vocal, energetic and effective.
The highlight of the night was Taylor taking an alley-oop off the backboard and throwing it down.
Honorable mentions: John Johnson and J.J. Moore.
Johnson didn't score 26 points like on night one, but he showed what type of player he can potentially be. By my count he finished with 13 points and had a streak at the beginning of the second half that showed off his skills. A drive and finger roll was quickly followed by a layup in transition for Johnson, who got behind the defense with his speed. Just a few possessions later he drove the lane, got fouled, made the basket and then a free throw for a 3-point play.
As for Moore, he showed hustle, aggression, athleticism and confidence — never afraid to shoot from the outside or drive the lane. Like Taylor, Moore appeared to be in very good shape. He looks like he bulked up a bit since last season. Moore finished with 22 points .
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Check out more on night two from Green Tree:
- A comprehensive recap of the Pitt action from night two at the Greentree Sportsplex.
- The top five performances from night two.
- A compilation of photos from night two at the Greentree Sportsplex.
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Chris Gates | Area 4-1-Zoo Blog
Twitter.com/Chris_Gates
Chris.Gates@cbsradio.com
