BJ Taylor has always been a basketball player and a man of his word. Now the Orlando native is looking to fulfill a childhood prophecy he etched out for himself back in the 9^th grade. Spectrum Sports 360’s Despina Barton meets up with Taylor for a reunion at Boone High School, where it all began:

• BJ Taylor lead the UCF Knights to first NCAA Tournament win
• First etched out NBA goals while he was a freshman at Boone
• Still holds multiple school scoring records at Boone 

BJ Taylor’s NBA dreams first started to take shape back in the 9^th grade.

“I remember BJ would come up to my classroom for lunch,” Taylor’s former JV Coach David Martinson recalled. “And on his folder he had drawn ‘NBA bound’ and I’ve never seen BJ draw anything in his life… students were like, ‘what does that mean?’ (BJ would tell them) ‘That means I am going to play in the NBA one day.”

That day is coming closer for the 23-year old, who wrapped up his senior year at UCF this march, a part of a group that made history--earning the Knights first ever NCAA tournament win.

In-between training for his next quest Taylor made a pit stop back at his old stomping grounds. Walking through the hallways and peeking in at the gymnasium trophy case alongside Martinson.

“Yeah, it’s that one, that’s when we beat Pookie’s team… Dr. Phillips,” Taylor points out a plaque. “We got the East-Metro Conference too, that was a big one and those were my years.”

Martinson remembers the lengths Taylor would take to stay in the gym.

“You always hear the stories of the guy who finds his own key or somehow breaks in and nobody knows or you get a call in the middle of the night ‘hey, I think someone is in the gym.’ Well it’s BJ, its ok,” Martinson explained.

“BJ always had a way in here, maybe he was working out a deal with the late night custodians but that’s what makes a guy like that—somebody who’s that driven—they are going to find a way.”

He’d even turn down dates to the prom to put up extra shots in the gym during his time at Boone High School.

“The only game I remember in here is the Edgewater game that I had but I remember practicing in here every day and just talking with the guys and sitting over there to get ready for practice,” Taylor recounted.

“It just gives me a lot of pride to be back in here because this will always be home for me.”

Taylor led the state in scoring (34.5 ppg) his senior year at Boone and still holds school records for most points in a game (59) and in a career (1,793).

“I never moved one time when I was little, went to the same elementary school, same middle school, same high school, same college. So I think kind of growing up that’s how my parents raised me to do things. If it’s tough, you need to get with your guys and look yourself in the mirror and figure out what you can do to better the situation.”

And Taylor had options, in high school and in college to go elsewhere, but he chose to stay loyal to his hometown.

He stands by all his decisions especially now as he positions himself to land on an NBA roster this summer.

“It’s not about where you go to school it’s about what you can do,” Taylor said about what he wants scouts to know.

“I can play with the best point guards in the country and the best point guards in the world that’s truly how I feel so if you bring me in you are going to get a guy who is going to help your team win because I really feel like I can ball.”

And there is a lot of film throughout the years at Boone and UCF to back up that statement. Martinson is certain that he will make a name for himself.

“Once that opportunity presents itself,” Martinson added. “I’d say watch out because he rarely lets go and just like he did here just like he did at UCF, slightly unknown going in but everybody knows who he is now.”

BJ’s known since he sat in Martinson’s classroom back in the 9^th grade.