STARKVILLE — Andrew Taylor could have stayed with Marshall basketball and been the star.

He averaged 14.6 points per game across four years, including a stellar 20.2 last season.

However, Taylor wanted a new challenge. He found it at Mississippi State and coach Chris Jans’ staff.

“I feel like in order for me to grow, I needed someone to kind of be on my (butt) a little bit to push me and get me to that next level,” Taylor told the Clarion Ledger. “Some days it’s uncomfortable. Some days I get (ticked) off, but it’s what I needed – what I wanted.”

The 6-foot-3 guard now comes off the bench for the Bulldogs as a crucial piece to a backcourt that desperately needed depth.

As someone who grew up in Kentucky dreaming of playing in the SEC, Taylor is fulfilling a goal. With it, he’s part of a team fueling a community desperate for NCAA Tournament success.

Andrew Taylor’s connection to Mississippi State

When Taylor was born in June 1999, Scott Padgett – MSU’s assistant to the head coach – had just wrapped up a decorated career with the Wildcats. Though Taylor never got to watch the former first-round NBA Draft pick play at Rupp Arena, there was a connection that helped bring Taylor to Starkville.

Padgett worked at Samford as an assistant (2012-14) and later head coach (2014-20). While there, he recruited Taylor. Paired with ties to MSU’s director of recruiting Patrice Days – who is friends with one of Taylor’s trainers – Taylor had reason to trust what he heard about the Bulldogs.

Plus, Mississippi State was among the nation’s top defensive teams in Jans’ first year.

“After learning all the offensive capabilities (at Marshall), looking at coach Jans and his defense and being able to come here to really work on that and add that part of my game – I think that it kind of just completes the circle,” Taylor said.

Why Andrew Taylor wanted to play in the SEC

If you grow up playing basketball in Kentucky, there's another way to get on the floor at Rupp Arena as it hosts the high school state tournament. Corbin High School made it to the quarterfinals in Taylor’s senior season (2017-18) and played two games at the home of the Wildcats.

He’ll get to make another trip on Jan. 17 when Mississippi State plays in Lexington.

“I wouldn’t have believed you if you told me I’d be playing there again,” Taylor said.

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In his time with the Thundering Herd, Taylor never experienced the NCAA Tournament. Marshall’s best finish with him came last season when it tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference. However, under coach Dan D’Antoni, the team’s postseason run finished after one game in the conference tournament.

Meanwhile, in Jans’ first season, MSU returned to March Madness for the first time since 2019 and was set to have five starters coming back along with additions such as Taylor, West Virginia transfer Jimmy Bell, junior college product Trey Fort and high school signee Josh Hubbard.

“I didn’t want to be part of a rebuild,” Taylor said. “I wanted to kind of be a piece to build it up even stronger… I think bringing everybody back and then adding those pieces, hopefully we can make it to the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four.”

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State basketball: How Chris Jans landed Andrew Taylor