Notre Dame Has Chance To Impress 2020 PF Elijah Taylor
Elijah Taylor has been busy the last few weeks banging out official visits and the 2020 Philadelphia power forward will be on another one this weekend, when he makes his way to Notre Dame.
The 6-foot-8, 230-pounder from Imhotep Charter has already taken official visits to VCU, Seton Hall and Florida. He’s scheduled to take an official visit to Pittsburgh next weekend.
“It’s as important as the rest,” says Imhotep Charter associate head coach Tahar Sutton, who also coaches Taylor’s summer squad, Team Final.
“I think when you’re going through the process of trying to decide the next 40 years of your life, it’s not about the next four years, because it sets up the next 30 to 40 years of your life, it’s pretty big.”
Sutton believes Notre Dame has a strong argument for being the school that can set Taylor up best long term.
“I think Notre Dame has a lot to offer like some of the other institutions do as well, so it’s going to be important for them to show him what those things are and it’ll be important for him to pay attention and ask the right questions to get the most information he can,” says Sutton.
“Obviously, being very close to an Ivy League education is a big deal. I think that’s the biggest deal. Some of the other schools that Elijah has play in the same type of competitive conferences. The ACC is probably the best conference in America, but the Big East is pretty good and so is the SEC.”
On the court, Sutton doesn’t see a huge separation between the schools Taylor is considering.
“But none of the other places come near the academic profile of Notre Dame,” he continues. “I don’t think the other places come near Notre Dame in terms of the alumni base. I think that’s huge.
“Obviously, being in the ACC and playing for a really, really great – I think close to being a Hall of Fame coach in Mike Brey is big. Those three things are pretty huge in Notre Dame’s favor.”
Brey spent multiple hours at Imhotep Charter on Monday along with assistants Ryan Ayers and Ryan Humphrey.
“It went really well,” says Sutton. “They had a chance to see the school, see where Elijah gets educated and plays his basketball and see our environment a little bit as a school. It was real good. It was a surprise and it went really well.”
The scheduled trip to Pitt would be the last.
“That will be five. If he makes it to Pitt, gets there, that would be five. After that, we could expect to have his decision made pretty soon after that.”