Catching up with Mike T

I spent about fourty five minutes last week doing a telephone interview with former Cyclone guard Mike Taylor. Taylor, who was dismissed from the Cyclones after numerous off the court violations. The most striking part of our conversation? What Taylor had to say about ISU coach Greg McDermott removing him from the team.
"I'm thankful that coach Mac (McDermott) and everybody tried to get me on track and everything," Taylor said. "It just wasn't the time for me."
This weekend it was. Taylor was back in town while the Iowa Energy hosted his Developmental League team, the Idaho Stampede.He scored 23 points in the Stampede's 108-100 victory over the Energy.
In conversations that I had with McDermott, he said nothing but good things about Taylor and even classified his leaving as "on good terms."
They must have been. I ran into Taylor during the Cyclones' victory over Nerbraska Saturday. He was high fiving McDermott during timeouts, sitting with Lucca Staiger by the Cyclones' bench and even saying, "hi" to ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard. While my story about Taylor ran in last week's Iowa State Daily, enclosed are some things that didn't make it in.
On his relationship with current Iowa State players and coaches: "I still talk to everybody because we were a family then and nothing changed," he said. "I'm still going to support Iowa State.
On what he's learned from his off the court issues: "I've learned that just everything you do, it's business, it's professional, it's the way you must carry yourself besides all the basketball," Taylor said.
On possibily returning to Ames to finish his degree: "I'm trying to work something out," he said. "I don't know yet. I really enjoyed my time here, I really enjoyed my time at Iowa State. Coach McDermott has a great program, everybody there is great and good and I really enjoyed it. So, I wouldn't mind coming back and getting a degree from Iowa State."
Probably one of the most productive conversations I've ever had.