Jermaine Taylor Shines at All-Star Game

Senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) of the UCF men’s basketball team had an impressive performance against some of the best players in the nation Friday, scoring 23 points in the Hershey’s College All-Star Game at Ford Field. Taylor was the leading scorer and team MVP for the Hershey’s All Stars.

The Reese’s All Stars held on for a 105-100 win over Taylor’s team, which was led by former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson.

In 27 minutes, Taylor connected on 9-of-20 shots from the floor. He hit three 3-pointers and also totaled a game-high six steals.

The all-star game, which was organized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, was held after each Final Four team practiced in front of the public at Ford Field. The contest, which featured two squads with the top seniors in the country, was televised live on CBS College Sports.

UCF head coach Kirk Speraw and the rest of the Knights’ staff was in attendance at the game.

The 2008-09 Conference USA Player of the Year, Taylor ranked third in the nation in scoring at 26.2 points per game this past season. In C-USA play, he averaged a league-record 29.1 points.

An Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention pick, Taylor was also named to the All-C-USA First Team, the NABC All-District 11 First Team and the United States Basketball Writers Association All-District IV Team.

The all-star game was the second of two events for Taylor in Michigan. On Thursday, he participated in the Vegas.com Slam Dunk Championship, which aired on ESPN.

Next up for Taylor is the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The event, which will allow the shooting guard to compete in front of National Basketball Association scouts, starts April 8 in Virginia.