Ashanti Taylor, Porter Ridge’s star player, hopes to shines in sophomore season

When Ashanti Taylor was playing at Porter Ridge Middle School in the winter of 2023, many felt like the future would be bright for her and Porter Ridge’s high school team in the coming years.

It took only one season to vindicate those predictions as Taylor helped the Pirates to a 20-7 record, a Southern Carolina 4A Conference co-title and second round state playoff advance while winning league player of the year honors as a freshman in the 2023-24 season.

“There was a lot of buzz and word of mouth about her coming in, but I’m a firm believer of wanting to see it first hand,” Porter Ridge’s third-year head coach Morgan Brown said. “So I went to a couple of middle school games. And she was the best player on the floor.

“My biggest question was whether or not she could translate that to the varsity high school level. So far, she’s really gotten better and better all the time.”

A 5-foot-10 sophomore point guard, Taylor averaged 18.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 4.4 steals a year ago. A member of the Winston-Salem-based CP3 AAU team, Taylor has also drawn recruiting interest from North Carolina A&T, Charlotte, SMU, Gardner-Webb, Wake Forest, Elon and James Madison.

Taylor was confident in her ability from the start.

“I felt like I knew what I was getting myself into and already felt I was a good player,” Taylor said. “I came into last season wanting to hold my opponent to a certain score and wanted to get all-conference and player of the year.”

So what does she have in mind for this season?

“To win the conference and then go farther into the playoffs,” Taylor said.

Brown, who has guided the Pirates to a 36-18 record in her first two seasons, shares those high hopes and says Taylor will play a huge role in whatever Porter Ridge is able to accomplish this season.

“Definitely, winning the conference is a goal of ours,” Brown said. “With a player like Ashanti, we have a good chance to win most of our games. She just brings a different perspective to our team on both sides of the ball.”

Brown, a former Limestone University player, said Taylor’s talent was clear from the first days of workouts a year ago.

“It was obvious that she had some natural athleticism,” Brown said. “Once she picked up the varsity pace in practices, she was the best player on the floor almost every night we played.

“She has the type of competitiveness that I would call her ‘a gamer.’ So when she has the ball, she’s determined to make positive things happen for your team. And when you have a player like that, it’s special.”

Both Taylor and Brown says the sophomore has benefited from her play with NBA star Chris Paul’s “CP3” Nike-sponsored summer travel team, where she was coached by Deangelo Alexander — a former Charlotte 49ers standout who also is Concord Academy’s girls’ coach.

“I think it’s improved my game,” Taylor said. “The competition has been tougher and more aggressive but it’s helped me improve.”

Because of it, Brown is convinced that Taylor’s future is indeed bright.

“Of course there’s always room for improvement and we’re getting in the gym to help her have a more consistent jumper and tighter handle,” Brown said. “We’ve also gotten her in the weight room and we’re doing conditioning drills. “If she continues to develop, she’s definitely a Division 1 type player.”