KU freshman Taylor ‘in a zone’ in Pro Am

Tyshawn Taylor turned some heads Tuesday night in Kansas City Pro Am basketball at Penn Valley Community College.

Taylor, Kansas University’s 6-foot-3 freshman point guard from St. Anthony High in Jersey City, N.J., scored 47 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, dished six assists and had two blocks in The Hawks’ 108-89 victory over the Cavaliers.

Taylor averaged 10.0 points a game while running the show for 32-0 St. Anthony, USA Today’s top-ranked high school basketball team.

“He was in a zone,” said Kansas City Northeast High coach Eric Stamps, the K.C. summer league’s vice president/player development.

“He did it in every way possible, going to the basket, taking open jumpers. A lot of fans were saying, ‘Wow, is he the KU guy?’ It was impressive. He’s fast, athletic. There’s a reason he is at KU.

“What KU lost in Mario (Chalmers) they got right back in Tyshawn,” Stamps added. “He’s a mixture of Russell (Robinson) and Mario. He is a basketball player. I see no reason he shouldn’t be one of the top players, at least one of the top newcomers in the Big 12 next year.”

¢ U.S. wins again: USA Basketball’s Under 18 national team improved to 3-0 at the FIBA U-18 championships by slamming Puerto Rico, 106-64, on Wednesday in Argentina.

Kansas University freshman Travis Releford, who combined for 19 points in opening victories over Venezuela and Bahamas, did not score versus Puerto Rico.

¢ Vegas summer league: Robinson’s Houston Rockets beat Darnell Jackson’s Cleveland Cavaliers, 73-72, in Las Vegas summer-league play Wednesday. Point guard Robinson scored two points with three assists, two rebounds and no turnovers. Forward Jackson scored seven points with five rebounds and six fouls in 24 minutes. : Former KU guard Aaron Miles scored four points and had four assists against one turnover in Dallas’ 93-71 win over Sacramento. : Former KU forward Darrell Arthur scored 12 points in Memphis’ 82-74 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He had five rebounds and three fouls.