Scoring-and-Playmaking Guard Who Can Swing Games
Taplin stood out at Tulsa as a reliable lead guard with real shot-making and distribution upside, including a 2017-18 conference stretch where he averaged 11.5 points and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 47.5% in league play and 42.2% from three[8]. He also showed ceiling games as a creator, such as 24 points vs. Tulane and 30 at UConn, which suggests he can take over when needed[1][6]. For a team, the appeal is a guard who brings toughness, timely scoring, and above-average floor-spacing rather than empty-volume stats[1][8].
