Missouri Western State University Athletics

Playing from 2001-03, Larry Taylor set a bar for Griffon Men's Basketball that still stands to this day. Taylor first graced the scene with an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection in 2001-02, helping the Griffons become MIAA Regular Season Co-Champions with a 16-2 conference record. Taylor and Missouri Western finished the season with a 33-7 record and an NCAA South Regional berth, their first since 1999. 

As the Griffons won the MIAA Tournament for the first time in 2003, Taylor earned the team's first-ever MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Taylor's 18.9 points per game and team-high 60 steals sustained another excellent season for the squad, with MWSU going 23-8 overall and earning its second-straight South Central Regional appearance. The 2002-03 All-Defensive Team and NAPC/Pontiac All-South Central Second Team member is fifth in MWSU history with 320 assists in just 61 games played, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest all-around players the Griffons have ever seen.