Dante Taylor not starring, but contributing for Panthers

When Dante Taylor arrived on campus as a McDonald's All-American, ginormous things were expected. Not only was Taylor expected to be an immediate impact on the team, but most fans didn't even think he'd be around for four years. We all know how things have worked out so far - Taylor's career got off to a rough start and here he is, still a Panther in his senior season. But while Taylor's production has been modest, it cannot be logically argued that he hasn't contributed to the program.

He's never been a star and almost certainly won't become one in his final season. But over his career, he's been a decent reserve for the Panthers off the bench. His career numbers of approximately 5 points and 4 1/2 rebounds per game aren't all that great. But he's been one of the most efficient shooters on the team during his time at Pitt, making about 60% of his attempts from the field.

There have also been the games when he's been extremely productive - case in point would be Pitt's last game against North Florida when he led the team in scoring. Taylor has produced several similar type games where he's been one of the best players on the court over his career, but the problem is there simply haven't been enough of them.

If we're being honest, Taylor has point blank largely been a disappointment on the court. You simply expect more from a player that was rated as one of the best high school players in the nation. He has never been terribly consistent at Pitt and he didn't do nearly enough during his time here. All of that said, Taylor has contributed and if nothing else has been an exceptional teammate as Ray Fittipaldo noted earlier this week.

Instead of sulking about playing time as other players have done, Taylor simply went about his business and tried to become a better player. He also could have complained about being made a center even though his true position when he was recruited was as a power forward. While his previous coach complained wildly, I don't even recall Taylor being audibly disgruntled.

You may not be happy with the way his career turned out when it comes to his on-court contributions, but Taylor's certainly helped the Pitt program as a teammate and a solid bench player.

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