Taylor is ‘Rok solid’

Oxford freshman with unique name continues his rich impact, scores big double-double as Jackets dump Bob Jones

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
AL.com Classic, Huntsville
Oxford 63, Bob Jones 51

Cleburne County Holiday Hoops Classic
Girls bracket
Weaver 46, Winterboro 29
Piedmont 68, Ranburne 62
Etowah 49, Woodland 26
Cleburne County 62, B.B. Comer 18
Boys bracket
Weaver 81, Winterboro 65
Saks 72, Woodland 40
Randolph County 41, Vincent 32
Cleburne County 51, Faith Christian 47

Big Orange Classic, Hoover
Guntersville 68, Anniston 51
Anniston 50, Holt 44

Albertville Civitans Christmas Classic
Talladega 83, Holy Family 41
Albertville 78, Fairview 59

Asbury Christmas Classic
Girls bracket
Douglas 71, New Hope 41
Plainview 60, Brindlee Mountain 22
Asbury 60, West End 24
Sylvania 67, Pleasant Valley 52
Boys bracket
Asbury 64, Pleasant Valley 31

Battle of the States
Boys bracket
Union County (Ga.) 69, Piedmont 27

Lauderdale County Girls Tournament
Lauderdale County 67, Alexandria 32

Hilton Sandestin Beach Blowout
Bayside 50, White Plains 38

TofC Classic, Atlanta
Sacred Heart 62, Pace Academy 45

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

HUNTSVILLE – It’s spelled Rokafewlloa and pronounced Rock-a-fella, but Roc – or Rok – will do just fine.

Get used to the way it looks. You’re going to be seeing it – prominently – for the next 3½ years.

Rok Taylor has been making a rich impact on the Oxford basketball team this year ever since he got back into basketball mode – and not just because of his name or the unique way it’s spelled.

The 6-foot-3 freshman may be the most influential first-year player on the county hoops scene since Sacred Heart introduced its triple threat of D.J. Heath, Kevion Nolan and Diante Wood several years ago.

He added another chapter to his growing legend Wednesday when he went for 21 points and 14 rebounds in the Yellow Jackets’ 63-51 consolation bracket win over Bob Jones in the AL.com Classic at Grissom High School. The Jackets now move with the tournament to the VonBraun Center where they’ll play Austin Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

Thursday’s schedule can be found on the Weekly Schedule page located elsewhere on the website.

“We started the season 1-5 when he was still in football and we’re 8-8 now; do the numbers,” Oxford coach Joel Van Meter said. “He gives us another bullet. I would guess he’s averaging 14 (points) and eight (rebounds) since he’s started playing; he’s just so active.

“(Tuesday) he probably had his worse game energy wise and I challenged him in film. He’s one I don’t say a whole lot to, but I challenged him and he goes for 21 and 14. … For me and my staff, he ain’t no surprise. We’ve been watching him for three years and just chomping at the bit for him to grow and get older so we could coach him.”

And it’s taken about that long before they all figured out that name.

Just so you know, Taylor is named for one of the richest men in America – John D. Rockefeller. How it came to be spelled the way he does is a matter of debate.

“I still don’t know how to spell it,” Van Meter said. “I call him ‘Roc,’ that’s as far as I take it.”

Taylor, who has two brothers with traditional names (William and Ty Davis, who played for the Jackets last season), said he gets asked about his unique name “every good week or two.” The questions are about the same each time.

“The best story I’ve got is one day I was just randomly walking and a kid came up to me and said, ‘Is your name Rockefeller?” he related. “I said it was and he said that’s a pretty cool name. Who named you that? My mom. Where’d you get that name from? It’s a rich man. How do you know him, is he an uncle or something? It’s random.

“He was like, ‘That’s a pretty cool name. Nice to meet you.’”

Van Meter actually has another name for his new star: Young Bull. He reminds Van Meter a lot of Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Jae Crowder, a former two-sport all-state player in high school from Villa Rica and “just a guy who impacts the game.”

Whatever Taylor answers to, it’s the name that draws them in, but the game that gets their attention.

When Zondrick Garrett transferred to a private school in Atlanta over the summer, Taylor’s role instantly accelerated. He thought he was going to have a “really hard time” stepping up in competition from the junior high team, but the transition turned out to be “pretty easy.”

He got a taste of it last year when Van Meter brought him up in the Northeast Regional final. He played 14 minutes in the forgettable loss to Parker, but he grabbed a couple rebounds. Now, he’s enjoying the same kind of impact Garrett had as a freshman and County Tournament MVP last year.

He scored eight points in his first game of the season against Ramsay without even practicing and has scored in double figures almost every game since. He had 16 points and nine rebounds against Southside, 16 points and 12 boards against Fort Payne and 12 points – including the game-winning layup – against Alexandria in the TV24 Holiday Shootout, a game that could be the difference in a 1 or 2 seed in the upcoming County Tournament seeding meeting.

“They’re two different players, but where Z kind of changed the game above the rim in blocking shots and finishing the ball, Rok changes it below the rim,” Van Meter said. “He gets angle for rebounds and affects it in the press because he’s so active. He’s got the best hands I’ve ever been around, all the levels I’ve ever been.

“He’s a lot like Z in that manner. Z could score around the basket, just make shots most guys might shoot hard, where Rok and Z have great touch and a great knack for getting the ball in the hole.”

It’s actually been a good season for the younger set so far this year. With Taylor, Alexandria post Landan Williams, Faith Christian scorer Malcolm Carlisle and Piedmont shooter Ryley Kirk — all freshman — and Kirk’s seventh-grader teammate Alex Odam, basketball in Calhoun County appears to be in pretty exciting hands for the next several years.

Albertville Civitan Christmas Classic
Talladega 83, Holy Family 41: Kobe Simmons broke out with 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Tigers opened the tournament with an easy victory. Ashton Duncan had 13 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and five steals. Chaztin Tanner and J.Q. Wilson had 12 points each in the second and third quarters when the Tigers pulled away.

GIRLS GAMES
Asbury Christmas Classic
Sylvania 67, Pleasant Valley 52: The Lady Raiders got off to a slow start and couldn’t recover. Brinn Farmer hit three of her five 3-pointers in the first quarter and scored 10 of her 20 points as Sylvania jumped out to a 20-7 lead. Mac Parris hit five 3s for PV and had 15 points. PV’s Emma Hood led all scorers with 23 points. The Lady Raiders will play West End at noon Thursday.

Cleburne County Holiday Hoops Classic
Weaver 46, Winterboro 29: Rayne Beck led a balanced Weaver scoring attack with 11 points. Amira Carter had 10 points. The Lady Bearcats (8-6) are overcoming the loss of injured Mariah Thompson and are now 3-2 since learning she’d be out for the season. They will play Piedmont in a 3 p.m. winner’s bracket game Thursday.

WEDNESDAY’S BOYS BOX SCORES
AL.com Classic
Oxford 63, Bob Jones 51
BOB JONES – Demontrez Brown 3-12 0-0 6, Chase Fiddler 4-7 2-2 11, Jalen Meyers 2-4 3-4 9, Trey Graham 2-8 1-2 5, Arrington Langford 1-1 2-2 4, Mike Brown 0-3 0-0 0, Jaylon Merritt 1-3 2-2 5, Chandler Porter 2-8 0-0 5, Taesean Hicks 0-1 2-2 2, Dante Emanuel 1-2 0-0 2, Kyan Brown 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 18-50 12-16 51.

OXFORD (8-8) – Markise Davis 6-12 4-4 16, Rok Taylor 9-15 3-3 21, Kendrick Foster 6-9 0-0 13, Eugene Leonard 2-9 2-2 6, Braden Mack 0-4 0-0 0, Simeon Shadrix 1-5 0-0 2, Mont McClendon 2-6 1-3 5, Trafton Houck 0-0 0-0 0, Tacorrie Russell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-60 10-12 63.

Bob Jones 2 17 10 22 — 51
Oxford 15 14 17 17 — 63

3-point goals: Bob Jones 3-10 (Fiddler 1-2, Brown 0-1, Merritt 1-1, Porter 1-6); Oxford 1-11 (Davis 0-4, Taylor 0-1, Foster 1-1, Shadrix 0-3, McClendon 0-2). Rebounds: Bob Jones 29 (Fiddler 6, Brown 6); Oxford 40 (Taylor 14, Foster 7, 4, Meyers 4). Total fouls: Bob Jones 14, Oxford 19.

Albertville Civitans Christmas Classic
Talladega 83, Holy Family 41
TALLADEGA – Chaztin Tanner 4 2-2 12, Tyrese Scales 0 0-0 0, Jaquon Chatman 1 0-0 2, Ashton Duncan 4 4-4 13, Decorvious Wilson 3 0-0 6, Rontavious Barclay 3 0-0 6, Jay Patterson 4 1-2 9, J.Q. Wilson 6 0-1 12, Kobe Simmons 9 5-6 23. Totals 34 12-15 83.

HOLY FAMILY – Jordan Washington 2 2-3 7, Dekembe Trainer 0 0-0 0, Ardereus Phillips 5 1-2 14, Walter Washington 0 0-0 0, Jacauron Henderson 1 0-0 3, Elijah Clark 7 2-2 17, Devin Washington 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-7 41.

Talladega 16 20 23 24 — 83
Holy Family 14 13 7 7 — 41

3-point goals: Talladega 3 (Tanner 2, Duncan); Holy Family 6 (J. Washington, Phillips 3, Henderson, Clark). Total fouls: Talladega 8, Holy Family 13.
Officials: Morrison, Hardy, Lusk.

GIRLS BOX SCORES
Cleburne County Holiday Hoops Classic
Weaver 46, Winterboro 29
WEAVER (8-6) – Marley Tucker 0 0-0 0, Caleigh Cortez 4 0-2 8, Kylee Jordan 0 0-0 0, Rayne Beck 3 5-10 11, Emily Reed 2 0-0 4, Anna Howell 0 0-0 0, Abby Gaines 3 1-2 7, Amira Carter 5 0-0 10, Trinity Pulliam 3 0-0 6.Totals 20 6-14 46.

WINTERBORO – Lawler 1 1-2 3, Zaryea Springer 0 2-2 2, Aleise Walton 0 0-0 0, Jasmine Fluker 2 0-0 4, Keyuna Wilson 0 1-2 1, Amiya Garrett 0 0-0 0, Brianna Jackson 1 2-2 4, Taniya Garrett 2 0-2 4, Kya Brown 3 2-3 9, Taikyra McElrath 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 8-13 29.

Weaver 14 13 10 9 — 46
Winterboro 6 5 11 7 — 29

3-point goals: Winterboro 1 (Brown). Total fouls: Weaver 12, Winterboro 13. Officials: Phillips, Givens, Miller.

Asbury Christmas Classic
Sylvania 67, Pleasant Valley 52
SYLVANIA – Makayla Bullock 2 1-2 7, Hanna Clifton 2 0-0 4, Lejanna Currie 0 0-0 0, Bethany Davis 6 0-0 12, Brinn Farmer 6 3-4 20, Kenadie Lee 2 3-4 7, Sierra Murdock 1 0-0 2, Ambriel Stopyak 1 0-0 3, Tyla Tatum 1 2-2 4, Riley Wisner 3 2-2 8, Lauren Womack 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 11-14 67.

PLEASANT VALLEY – Lindsey Pritchett 1 0-0 2, Mac Parris 5 0-0 15, Rylee Haynes 0 0-1 0, Alyssa Cash 1 1-3 3, Emma Hood 10 3-6 23, Carmyn Sparks 2 3-6 7, Brooke Perry 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 7-16 52.

Sylvania 20 16 13 18 — 67
Pleasant Valley 7 15 14 16 — 52

3-point goals: Sylvania 8 (Bullock 2, Farmer 5, Stopyak); PV 5 (Parris 5).
Technical fouls: Perry. Total fouls: Sylvania 17, PV 13.

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