True Student-Athletes – Conference Carolinas Basketball Players of the Year Lead the Way in the Classroom and on the Court

This is the continuation of a series of Body, Mind & Soul stories that highlights member student-athletes, coaches and administrators of Conference Carolinas.

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Is there a better marriage of academics and athletics than in Conference Carolinas? 

In an era when the term scholar-athlete has become almost obsolete at some institutions of higher learning, a collection of NCAA Division II institutions has stayed true to their shared mission of “Building Champions in Body, Mind and Soul.”

This dynamic NCAA Division II conference is producing true student-athletes by the bushels these days. Last year, NCAA data revealed that 75 percent of the conference’s student-athletes graduated, with several member schools boasting rates higher than 80 percent.

But one of the crowning moments may have transpired this year in the sport of basketball.  

Francis Marion’s star center Lauryn Taylor was named both Conference Carolinas’ women’s basketball Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Emmanuel guard KJ Jones–the nation’s leading scorer in NCAA Division II–was bestowed the same two honors for men’s basketball.

Some may consider this as rare as an eclipse of the sun, yet anyone aware of the high place academics are placed by Conference Carolinas members may believe it is normal.

For Jones, a 6-foot-6 guard from Atlanta, becoming a force on the hardwood was simply a matter of time. After all, he led Emmanuel in scoring (13.3 ppg) as a freshman despite starting only one game. Yet, his just-completed junior season was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

He averaged a nation-leading 26.2 points per game, shooting a blistering 50.5 percent from the floor and ranked second in free throw percentage (.868) and placed seventh in rebounding (7.2 rpg), three-point percentage (.417) and steals (1.7 spg) in Conference Carolinas.

Understandably, the awards came flowing freely after his magical season. He was named to All-America teams by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), and won Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and tournament MVP. The junior sharpshooter dissected Belmont Abbey for 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting in the conference’s title game.

Contrary to reports, Jones did not pop popcorn in the concession stand during timeouts.

Almost comically, KJ offered a very simple response to his historical campaign.

“It was fun, to be honest,” said Jones. “There were no egos on our team. That’s the main reason why I had the kind of year I had. My teammates were very supportive of me and took accountability in whatever role they had, whether leading the team in scoring or being on the bench.”

Clearly, you can add humility to a long list of personal traits for the Lions’ team captain. That alone is a remarkable feat, considering the stratosphere in which he resided, both on the court and in the classroom.

Academically, Jones has received only one “B” grade in his entire life. That occurred during his sophomore year at Emmanuel, the lone blemish on a 3.92 career GPA in college.

“The class was statistics and I was upset at first,” said KJ, a member of the 2022-23 All-District Academic Team. “Then I realized that college was different from high school and I just moved forward.”

For Taylor, the basketball and academic accomplishments are equally impressive. The 5-foot-11 Blythewood, South Carolina product scored a conference-leading 17.7 points and ranked third in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and fifth in field goal percentage (.461) among league players.

She posted 10 double-doubles in earning Division II CCA All-Southeast Region Team honors and was the driving force behind the Patriots’ remarkable 18-game winning streak during the season. 

Her striving for excellence goes well beyond basketball, however. Taylor has carved out a 3.5 grade-point average during her Francis Marion career as a psychology major. She was named to the College Sports Communicators 2022-23 Academic All-District Team. In addition, despite her freshman year being truncated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taylor already stands 27th on the Francis Marion career scoring list with 1,148 points. She is 22nd in rebounding in Francis Marion women's basketball program history with 604. 

Yet, in some ways, Taylor’s junior season was no picnic. While she ended the basketball season with a trophy case full of awards, adversity raised its head unexpectedly last Fall.

She arrived on campus with what eventually was diagnosed as Achilles tendonitis.  

“I did not know if I was going to even have a season,” Taylor now admits. “My tendon and heel were really sore, so I didn’t compete in preseason workouts. Once the season started, I just started playing with it.”

While she played the sport she loves, clearly she was not performing at 100 percent.

“I just kept telling myself to keep going, but it was pretty noticeable. I just wasn’t as explosive. I could run but not really sprint. It also affected my quick pivots and turns.”

There was a point in December where the post-game pain became almost intolerable.

“I thought about shutting it down,” she revealed. “I didn’t feel very well, but I was still able to perform, push through and get 15 or 20 points each night. Then we had a break for final exams and things started to get progressively better. Eventually I even stopped getting treatment.”

But while her Achilles was getting better, it was getting much worse for Francis Marion opponents. Taylor earned Conference Carolinas Player of the Week six times during the final three months of the season.

Jeri Porter, the Patriots’ highly-respected coach who boasts more than 300 career wins during her illustrious career, just gushes when the subject of Lauryn Taylor is mentioned.

“Lauryn is super smart,” Porter said. “She’s an extension of what you see off the court. She’s a very intuitive kid who thinks things through and is always concerned about how it affects others. Lauryn just enjoys life and is a pleasure to be around. And she’s an old, wise person in a young person’s body.”

Coach Porter explains Taylor’s basketball success in two words:  

“IQ and versatility. First, she’s such a student of the game. Second, as a player she has the ability to post up and score down low, yet she led the team in three-point shots. So I can move her around the floor as we need her.”

Then there’s her leadership qualities and intense work ethic.

“She leads by example,” says the coach. “She’s that star that’s in the gym as much as anybody. All of our kids work on their own or with a coach, but that always starts with your best players. Same in the weight room. Lauryn also isn’t afraid to speak up, not only for encouragement but also to point out areas where we need to be better. From a leadership standpoint, she checks all the boxes.”

Like Taylor, Jones has also faced his share of adversity. Despite growing up in the basketball hotbed of Atlanta and honing his skills in early AAU summer competition, the Emmanuel guard was virtually overlooked by college scouts coming out of Eagles Landing Christian High School

“Honestly, the biggest thing I overcame was just getting an opportunity,” he said. “I went into my senior year of high school with no offers. Emmanuel was my first offer in November.”

And while Jones has made the most of his opportunities since, including his national scoring crown this season and holding his own in Atlanta AAU confrontations with the likes of NBA stars Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers) and rising G-League player Sharife Cooper, he has admirably stayed loyal to the school to first offer him a college scholarship. He has refused to entertain entering the transfer portal that has become so prevalent in today’s college game. Moving up to Division I could certainly be enticing.

“The thought has definitely crossed my mind,” he admits. “But at the same time, I believe in loyalty. I’m sticking with them. I’m not big on material things. If you work hard, things will come our way.”

He also says that Emmanuel has provided him with a perfect place to focus on his basketball and studies.

“If you know anything about Emmanuel, you know it’s a really small school. I think the values they instill on you are great. And there aren’t many distractions. It’s allowed me to achieve what I have.”

His coach believes Jones might very well follow in the footsteps of other Atlanta hoopsters to the professional level, maybe even the NBA, some day.

“I actually think the pro game is going to be easier for him,” said TJ Rosene, a three-time Coach of the Year who has served 16 of his 21 years as head coach at Emmanuel. “Sure, the players are going to be better, but his great decision-making will serve him well because the pros are a cleaner game. In college, I don’t think any player has faced as many different defenses as KJ did.”

Rosene also credits Jones for his unselfishness (“he’s a willing passer when he’s double teamed") and his efficiency as a scorer (“he’s not really a volume shooter”).

While Jones appears headed towards a basketball life after college, he certainly has clear goals for when his playing career ends. A business administration major with a pre-law focus, he enjoys verbal jousting with classmates and professors alike.

“I would like to open my own law firm when I finish playing basketball,” he flatly states. “I like debating with different people. It’s right up my alley. But first, I would love to play in the NBA.”

On the women’s side, Taylor also has visions of playing basketball professionally after earning her diploma at Francis Marion, whether it be the WNBA or a league overseas.

Her coach was asked whether Lauryn had the chops to play professionally.

“Absolutely!” Porter exclaimed. “She’s the definition of a pro. She’s a really strong candidate and the sky’s the limit. It’s just a matter of what she wants to do next. When you’re also the Scholar-Athlete of the Year, it bodes well both on and off the court.”

Taylor said she found inspiration from her late father Rodney Taylor, who was a rugged forward who played four seasons at Villanova and was a key part of the 1988 team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

“He was very humble and never talked about himself,” said Lauryn about her dad, who died of a heart attack seven years ago. “The only time I learned about his basketball career was when friends and former teammates would come by and mention that he used to play against great players like Dikembe Mutumbo (who played at Georgetown and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame after a NBA career). My father later played professionally in Luxembourg and Germany.”

Taylor credits both her parents for setting academics as the top priority. She says her father grew up on “the side of town” in Columbia, South Carolina where that was not the case. Basketball represented an opportunity to escape the neighborhood. Yet, once Rodney Tayor enrolled at Villanova, an elite academic school, he realized the importance of a college degree and he graduated on time at the Philadelphia university.

Lauryn’s mother, Tasha, always valued education. Attending the same Columbia high school (Spring Valley) where she went, her mom majored in psychology–like her daughter–at High Point University. Tasha Taylor has taught elementary school in Columbia the past 15 years, and currently is pursuing an online degree in special education from Grand Canyon University.

Jones, whose parents also stressed good grades, credits Emmanuel’s culture and priorities for helping him balance academics and sports while in college.

“I think the school makes it easier,” he said. “We need to spend the time playing basketball but we also have ample opportunity to do homework and study. Our school doesn’t play games during exam week, which is not always the case at other schools. My coach is also very open to adjusting when I have an exam or need to study. He’ll try to manage the schedule to work for everyone. And we have mandatory study halls on road trips.”

Porter, Taylor’s coach, has similar praise for her administration’s academic support.

“I must give a huge shout-out to Francis Marion,” she enthused. “I just finished my eighth year here and I’ve never worked somewhere that’s impressed me more about their academics. The commitment from the professors, the administration and the athletic department, bringing academics and athletics together. There’s a special nurturing here where everyone is encouraged to strive for excellence. We’ve got the right people around our student-athletes, which is why you can accomplish those things.”

Interestingly, KJ Jones and Lauryn Taylor share a rare distinction but have never met.  

“I’ve never talked to him personally, but I’ve seen him play,” said Lauryn. “Now we have something in common.”

Asked what he might say to Lauryn if he ever meets her in the future, Jones responded, “I’d probably pick her brain on how she succeeds in both areas. I would like to know what her habits are and how she lives her life.”

Beyond their remarkable accomplishments in basketball and academics, their coaches paint a picture that transcends awards. What surfaces in many of their comments is simply this: 

Jones and Taylor are quality people.

“KJ is unique,” said Rosene, shaking his head. “He’s one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever been around. He hasn’t missed a birthday card or failed to text a teammate when something goes well or something goes wrong.”  

“Lauryn is obviously one of the best ever to play for me,” said Porter. “It’s been an honor to coach her because she’s an equally impressive person. She’s been a superstar that’s a joy to coach and that isn’t always the case. I have no doubt that the best years are ahead of her, and it may not necessarily be basketball.”

All anyone can ask is to have options and opportunities in life. In the cases of KJ Jones and Lauryn Taylor, their options and opportunities appear limitless. As it should be. They’ve dedicated themselves both inside and outside of the classroom at Emmanuel and Francis Marion, respectively, and their hard work has led them into rarefied air.  

As the old 1986 song by Timbuk 3 suggests, “The Future’s So Bright, I’ve Gotta Wear Shades.”

Bob Rose is a longtime sports public relations executive who has worked for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, the NFL Cardinals, Cal, Stanford and other organizations. Bob works with Assistant Commissioner for External Relations Brian Hand and the entire Conference Carolinas office to help tell the stories of the tremendous student-athletes, coaches and administrators in Conference Carolinas.