Taylon Smith named as the Vicksburg Daily News Boys Basketball Player of the Year

Vicksburg High School basketball player Taylon Smith has been named the 2020-2021 Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Smith was a crucial player for the Gators this year behind the three-point line where his jump shot was critical to all of his defenders.

Taylon Smith taken by Ced Tillman

Last year, in his junior season, Smith averaged 12 points per game, but he quickly stepped up his performance this season and managed to put up 15.8.

One of his best games this season was when he made six three-pointers against Provine to lead VHS to a 42-41 win. He finished with 19 points.

Smith is well known for his great distance shot, especially when he is connected with teammate Keshawn Brown who dishes out the ball to him in order to make the score.

Smith has heavily improved his game since last season by continuing to practice hard and working nonstop to become a better player.

“I feel like I have grown a lot on and off the court and I feel like I brought the team together as a whole this year,” Smith said.

With the help of Smith, VHS finished with a 18-8 record and a trip to the second round of the playoffs.

Taylon Smith taken by Ced Tillman

Although Smith trusted his jump shot to become successful, he also always remembered what his head coach Kelvin Carter always told him.

“Coach Carter always told me since my freshman year that I was always gonna be special,” Smith said.

Now that Smith’s career has come to an end as a player for VHS, he thanked those who always stuck with him throughout the years.

“I would like to thank God for my success along with my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and athletic director who believed in me,” Smith said.

Although his VHS career is over, Smith will be signing a basketball scholarship in the coming weeks and Vicksburg Daily News will continue to provide updates on Smith’s success over the years to come.