FARMINGTON -- Layne Taylor has worked in the offseason to get stronger and continuing to increase his basketball I.Q. along with polishing his skills. That alone should make opponents apprehensive heading into his senior season.
The University of North Texas signee helped lead Farmington to the Class 4A state semifinals a year ago before falling to Blytheville on the Chickasaws' home floor. Taylor doesn't mince words either about he and his team's main goal this year and that's to win a state championship.
The Cardinals return a couple of starters but as many as four, who saw significant playing time, from a team that went 36-1 a year ago.
"I think we have all the potential in the world to win a state championship," Taylor said. "We can shoot. We can guard. We have length, and we have all the intangibles. Can we go out and be consistent? We have everything to win a state championship. It's just can we stay together and guard?"
The 5-foot-11 Taylor averaged 26 points per game a year ago to go with 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 steals and drew 14 charges. He also shot 81 percent from the free-throw line and has scored 2,404 points in his career. But the one thing he's done throughout his high school career is win. Taylor enters his senior year with an 89-9 career record.
Taylor said he's had to deal with junk defenses much of his career, but he's matured over time.
"Used to I'd get aggravated if someone missed a shot or something," Taylor said. "I'd try to go force something."
But he's learned to trust his teammates over time.
"I have really good players around me so that makes it easy," Taylor said. "I can pass it to someone who's wide open and they'll make a shot. They usually send two at me, and when they send two I just find the open guy."
He's also learned how to finish at the basket even against much bigger opponents thanks to his time in AAU basketball.
"I've become craftier at finishing because I was playing against guys 6-10, 7-0 in the summer," Taylor said. "I can shoot more off the move now, change direction faster, be on balance."
Taylor has also increased his strength and added close to 10 pounds since last season. The added strength helps him take contact going to the basket, but that's not the only benefit, Farmington coach Johnny Taylor, Layne's father, noted.
"It's huge, not just from strength standpoint but an injury prevention standpoint," Johnny Taylor said. "We've done so many things with knee, ankle prevention. As a sophomore he had a high ankle sprain, but last year other than just normal wear and tear he stayed healthy."
As a freshman and sophomore, he was more of a "catch and shoot" guy. But that's changed as he's gotten stronger and faster.
Taylor has always been a rather prolific scorer, but his father said that win-loss record is the most important statistic to his son.
"Layne does not care about any statistic except his win-loss record, he'll tell you that," Johnny Taylor said. "He's only got nine losses in his career. Part of that is we've had really good kids who have bought in to playing a role in being part of our system."
The elder Taylor pointed to two years ago when his son suffered a severe high ankle sprain. But Layne Taylor still found a way to help his team despite scoring just two points.
"He goes in that game and doesn't leave his feet," Johnny Taylor said. "Late in the game, he ends up getting fouled and finished with two points, but we win the game. They face-guarded him and we were able to win the game because we actually had space to play.
"He's out there just standing, limping around ... but he was out there to help us win the game." he added.