Taylor’s scoring record shouldn’t be celebrated

In case you missed it during Thanksgiving break, Jack Taylor of the Division III Grinnell basketball team scored 138 points against Faith Baptist Bible, setting an NCAA record for most points in a game by a single player.

At first glance this might seem an incredible feat, but it takes only a little more digging to realize that Taylor’s record is far from praiseworthy.

When I first heard news of the performance, I felt quite giddy and wished there was some way to see the entire game. I’ve always loved looking at statistics in sports, and I always cheer for records to be broken fairly.

Yet when I started to read reports about the game, I began to feel a little disappointed. Records mean something only if they are set in the flow of the game. That did not happen.

It was clear before the game even started that Grinnell Coach David Arseneault’s plan was to get Taylor a scoring record.

Arseneault utilizes an up-tempo, full-court press style of play that emphasizes quantity above quality of shots and makes Grinnell look like the 2005 Phoenix Suns on steroids.

Unlike the Suns, though, who would distribute the ball to many different scoring options and thus spread out the opposition’s defense, Arseneault’s strategy is to pick one player and make sure he gets the most shots possible.

It’s evident Taylor was that guy the night of Nov. 20.

Taylor recorded 108 of Grinnell’s 136 shots, 71 of its 80 3-point attempts and 36 minutes played. The second-highest minute total for any of his Grinnell  teammates, though, was 15.

Meanwhile, Taylor posted no assists or fouls.

The 108-to-0 ratio of shots to assists proves Taylor clearly had no intention of sharing the scoring load, and the absence of fouls can be attributed to cherry picking.

A former Grinnell player told Deadspin a little about Arseneault’s game plan, saying, “(the player seeking the record) would not cross into the defensive side of the court, so after our opponents broke our press, we were essentially playing four-on-five.”

There were also multiple reports from people who watched and re-watched the game that said a Grinnell player would grab an offensive rebound with a clear shot at the basket only to pass back out to Taylor so he could jack up another long-range shot.

Arseneault even subbed in scrubs at the end of the game to foul and send the opposition to the free throw line to get Taylor the ball back as quickly as possible.

Given this information, Taylor’s record really isn’t that impressive.

Sure, it makes it harder to score when the entire defense knows who will be shooting every time, but he still made only 38 percent of his 3-pointers and less than 50 percent of his field goals.

You know who played a much better game?

David Larson of Faith Baptist Bible, who scored 70 points on 77 percent shooting.

But it’s been only Taylor’s final point tally that anyone has seemed to care about.

Arseneault is the one who’s really to blame for this completely contrived record.

Taylor and the rest of his teammates were just following orders. Don’t blame them.

It has been Arseneault’s plan all along to find a place for his players in the record books and secure interviews and appearances on ESPN as often as possible.

Hey, there’s no such thing as bad press, right?

I hope he’s happy.

The entire sporting world has been talking about his player, his team and his system for the last week, just like he has always wanted.

Unfortunately, it’s for all the wrong reasons.

­— tlstutzm@indiana.edu