Rebounding has taken on a different meaning for Taylor Baudoin this season.
The Immanuel Christian freshman used to think rebounding was “cool.” After all, it isn”t too often a 5-foot-4 or a 5-5 player has success in the paint corralling misses against taller players.
But thanks to a growth spurt Baudoin no longer has to worry about daring to mix it up with the other post players. Now at 5-10, Baudoin is making the most of her new-found height, and the Immanuel Christian girls basketball team is reaping the dividends.
Baudoin is averaging a team-best 16 points and 13 rebounds per game for the Lady Rams (8-9). Despite a nagging ankle injury she suffered in soccer season and a bone bruise to her knee, Baudoin has emerged as a valuable leader.
For her accomplishments this season, Baudoin is The Dispatch”s Prep Player of the Week.
“She is a quiet leader,” said Jenny Hutcherson, who is in her third season as coach of the Immanuel Christian girls basketball team. “She is one not to be out front. She doesn”t really want the spotlight on her, but our team draws strength from her just being out on the court. If we need a basket, we”re looking for Taylor to score or to be the one to make the screen to get somebody open. She truly is the go-to girl.”
Baudoin has played forward and center in the first part of the season for the Lady Rams (8-9). She also handles the bulk of the team”s ballhandling. To top it off, Baudoin”s ability to clean the glass allows Immanuel Christian to get out and run and push tempo.
“I know I get a lot of rebounds, and getting rebounds helps because I can bring it down the court and we can go from there,” Baudoin said. ” I think (rebounding) is cool, but it has kind of come easier for me now. It”s not as cool as I used to think it was, but it still is an important part of the game.”
Hutcherson said Baudoin”s rebounding ability also is key because it sets the example for the rest of the team and motivates the other players to rebound. She said Baudoin”s willingness to do the “blue-collar work” in the paint fits her personality. She said Baudoin is an unselfish player who likes to set up her teammates to score and loves to make great-looking plays.
Sometimes, though, Hutcherson admits Baudoin”s youth gets the best of her and she will make a mistake, but she owns up to it quickly.
“She will turn around and tell me she shouldn”t have done that (when she makes a mistake),” Hutcherson said. “But she is trying. She wants to learn. She is very coachable.”
Baudoin joined the varsity basketball team last season just in time for the postseason. Baudoin played so well she was named to the all-district tournament team and to the All-North State tournament team. In all, she played in only seven varsity games.
“She has just grown up in the gym,” Hutcherson said when asked to explain how Baudoin was able to make such a smooth transition.
Baudoin started to play basketball in kindergarten. She said she “kind of taught” herself to play the game. The sport is part of an active lifestyle that also includes roles on the school”s soccer, softball, and track and field teams. Just like in those sports, Baudoin is willing to do whatever is needed to help the team succeed. She also is hesitant to accept a lot of the accolades that come with being a player who averages a double-double every game.
“I wouldn”t be able to do all of that stuff without my team around me,” Baudoin said. “Without them I would be nothing.”
Baudoin said she and the team, which lost Saturday to Oak Hill Academy, has gone through its ups and downs. She said she has done “OK” and that she has plenty she needs to improve on, especially her outside shooting, her passing, and her ballhandling.
Baudoin doesn”t hesitate to say rebounding is the strongest part of her game. She said improved elevation has combined with her growth spurt to help her be a controlling force in the middle.
Hutcherson said Baudoin has plenty of room to mature physically and mentally. She is anxious to see how Baudoin continues to develop into a leader and as a rebounder.
“I know she is one of the best players in our district as a freshman,” Hutcherson said. “Moving up to a new district (and from Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A to Class AA next school year) will only help her playing against bigger and better talent. I think she will rise to the challenge and college coaches will be asking about her and calling her.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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