Taylor King is packing his bags for the City of Brotherly Love.
The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter announced Monday that he will be transferring to Villanova following the completion of the spring semester at Duke.
"Nothing against Duke, but it's time for a change," King told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I needed to explore other places. Villanova is a true family atmosphere where everyone's got each other's back."
A 2007 McDonald's All-American, King averaged 5.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as a freshman last season.
After scoring in double figures in six of his first 13 games-including a career-high 27 points against Eastern Kentucky Nov. 25--King saw his playing time diminish as the season wore on. He did not score in nine of the Blue Devils' final 21 games and played less than one minute after halftime in Duke's final three contests.
"I didn't feel that at Duke I was in the right position to get to the next level," King told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "[Villanova] Coach [Jay] Wright will help me get to the next level. It's not that [Mike Krzyzewski] wouldn't, because he's done it his whole career, but I think Villanova is where I fit the best."
Per NCAA rules, King will sit out the 2008-2009 season. However, with forwards Dante Cunningham, Shane Clark and Dwayne Anderson entering their final seasons for the Wildcats, Villanova will have openings in its frontcourt when King is declared eligible for the 2009-2010 campaign.
-from staff reports
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