Before he had ever taken high school geometry or attended a homecoming dance, Taylor King knew where he would be going to college. Or so he thought.
As an eighth-grader blessed with the height, strength and talents of someone much older, King verbally accepted a scholarship offer to play at UCLA. Over the next four years, though, both King's frame and game grew. Now, despite living more than 2,000 miles from his native California, he's never been more at home.
"I love it here," King said. "It's like I've got another family out here.... The team is like my brothers."
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound forward is not shy about his feelings for his new stomping ground. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has been like a second father and everybody else on the team is his best friend, King said.
But as the backwards-hat wearing, laid-back Golden State kid reminisces about his choice to go east, he points to one overriding factor in his decision.
"Coach K," he said without pause. "Obviously, he's the best coach to ever coach the game, or at least one of the best.... He knew what type of player I was. He knew that I could succeed here. I trust him. He's going to develop me into a man and into the player that I want to be."
A self-described "talker" on the team, King helps shut down the opposition by performing like "a quarterback on defense," directing teammates on the floor. But the freshman is also effective on offense, which he showed in the two exhibition games this season, averaging 7.5 points and eight rebounds.
"Taylor King is not a big guy or a little guy, but he can shoot the ball,"Krzyzewski said. "Now, he's not going to get as many shots, so does he take good shots? He has a weapon already, though."
The unique inside-outside talent, who can shoot the three-pointer as well as crash the boards, was courted by many top-notch colleges, including the one eight miles down Tobacco Road. But even preseason-No. 1 North Carolina could not compete with Duke in King's mind.
"I knew this was the place for me because they were really supportive of me when I first came," he said. "I just couldn't say no to the program, the history and the rich tradition. The school is great, and the academics are amazing. The basketball's the best."
As a senior in high school, King was named the state's Mr. Basketball, received his third all-state selection and led his Mater Dei team to the Division-II state title. He finished his career fourth on California's all-time scoring list.
Things will be different now, however, when he suits up for Duke as more of a role player off the bench. Even though he may take some time getting used to it, King is cognizant of his place on his new team and prepared to do anything it takes to help Duke win its fourth national championship.
"We're going to surprise a lot of people this year," King said "We're going to try to get back to the old Duke ways, and that's winning. Winning and nothing else."
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