Taylor Hendricks excited to make his college debut
Taylor Hendricks has yet to play in a college game, but the UCF freshman is already generating a lot of buzz this preseason.
That shouldn't come as a surprise since the Fort Lauderdale native comes in as the highest-rated recruit in UCF history. Rivals ranked Hendricks as the No. 63 overall player in the 2022 class and the nation's No. 9 power forward.
UCFSports.com caught up with him at the recent media day. The Knights tip off the season Monday, Nov. 7.
To start off, I asked about becoming acclimated to college life. The biggest adjustment was living on his own and not with his parents. He rooms with his brother Tyler, Charlie May and Jayhlon Young.
He said he learned a lot from the recent secret scrimmage against Georgia, just being a sneak peek of how games will be ran.
What is he known for on the court?
"I would describe myself as a versatile player. Being able to stretch it out, shoot threes and also attack inside off the dribble. And the energy I bring. After I make a tough bucket, I might celebrate a little bit."
Hendricks thinks it's probably a good thing there's so many new players. Everybody is growing together and building good habits.
Coach Laing said bowling was among the team activities this summer. I asked Taylor who the best bowler on the team is.
"I'm not gonna lie, I'm the best bowler on the team. In middle school I was in bowling tournaments."
He said he is often compared to Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo. He likes to model his game after Anthony Davis.
"I feel like we have a similar playing style."
He grew up a LeBron James fan.
Asked about teammates who have impressed him, Taylor mentioned C.J. Walker.
"When I committed, I watched the games but now playing with him and seeing how hard he plays and how good he is, it's crazy. It gets me better as well."
Ithiel Horton too.
"He shoots the cover off the ball, man. It's crazy.
"Also Darius Johnson. Seeing how well he handled the offense last year and him coming back this year, he's only getting better."
He likes watching Netflix. He's big on suspense and thriller movies. His all-time favorites? 'Stranger Things' and 'You.'
Although he's focused on the American for this upcoming season, Hendricks recognizes how big it is that UCF will move to the Big 12 for his sophomore year.
"Going into the Big 12 will help recruiting guys. It's a step in the right direction for sure."
What are his expectations for the season?
"My expectations are to prove all the doubters wrong. I've seen the projections on where we're going to be in the rankings. I don't really think we're going to be that low. We're definitely going to come out and prove we're a better team than everybody thinks."