Another day, another Blue Devil.
Former Texas Longhorn Celeste Taylor announced her commitment to Duke Saturday evening. A former five-star prospect and Big 12 All-Freshman Team selectee, she averaged 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds on 35.3% shooting and 26.2% usage.
Taylor marks the third new addition to the squad this offseason, with former five-stars Lexi Gordon and Nyah Green announcing their decisions earlier this week and in January, respectively.
Taylor’s offensive game is built around rim pressure and dribble penetration, two things the Blue Devils were in sore need of. The 5-foot-11 off-ball guard is a downhill scorer, capable of making plays out of a wide variety of actions, and is usually the most explosive player on the court. Though her jump shot and catch-and-shoot performance has continually improved, she likely needs a little bit of progress on her finishing at the rim to truly excel.
She’s one of the better guards in the country at both off-ball and point-of-attack defense, ranking in the 71st percentile this year in defensive RAPM. She isn’t afraid to get physical down low and has incredible energy.
Taylor figures to compete for a starting spot in Duke’s guard rotation. Her game will likely pair well with that of both Vanessa de Jesus and Miela Goodchild, and though a backcourt of Taylor and Goodchild would be light on playmaking, a small lineup consisting of all three is conceivable. They’ve each started a good amount of their collegiate games, however, so one will have to acclimate to a sixth woman role.
With nine players on its roster, the Blue Devils still have room for a big wing or combo forward.
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