2016-17 Men's Basketball Roster
Persons, Tayler
Jersey Number 2
Tayler Persons
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 220
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Kokomo, Ind.
- Prev School:
- Northern Kentucky
- High School:
- Kokomo
Bio
Career Notes
All-MAC in each of his three years at Ball State (twice first team and once third team) … joined the Cardinals as a transfer from Northern Kentucky, where he was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year in 2014-15 ... the first Cardinal ever with at least 1,500 points and 400 assists, finishing his Ball State career ninth in school history in points (1,558) and third in assists (447) … started all 99 games of his BSU career, finishing second on the program’s all-time list for consecutive starts behind only Ray McCallum (104) … averaged 15.7 points and 4.5 assists for his BSU career … for his full collegiate career, he compiled 1,950 points and 559 assists … reached the 1,000-point mark in just 69 games ... four-time MAC West Division Player of the Week.
2018-19 (Senior)
All-MAC Third Team … Preseason All-MAC West Division … two-time MAC West Player of the Week (Jan. 21, Feb. 11) … started all 33 games … ranked sixth in the MAC in scoring at a career-best 16.7 points per game and fourth in assists at 4.3 per game … led the team in both categories … also ranked sixth in the league in free throw percentage at 80.0 percent … reached double figures 30 times, including 12 straight games to end the season … hit the 20-point mark nine times … scored a season-high 29 points in wins over Appalachian State and Northern Illinois … hit a career-high six 3-pointers in the victory at NIU … went 12-for-12 from the foul line in the overtime win over App State … handed out a season-best nine assists in the win over Evansville … selected after the season to compete in the second annual 3X3U National Championship and helped the MAC team to third place in a field of 32 teams representing every Division I conference.
2017-18 (Junior)
All-MAC Second Team ... Preseason All-MAC West Division ... Ball State’s leader in scoring (15.0) and assists (4.3) ... ranked fifth in the MAC in assists per game ... hit game-winning 3-pointers in the last four seconds of three games, defeating No. 8 Notre Dame (Dec. 5), Valparaiso (Dec. 9) and Bowling Green (Feb. 6) ... scored go-ahead or game-tying points in the final 20 seconds of regulation a total of six times … scored 24 points in the Notre Dame game and 23 in the Valpo contest, four days apart … named NBC Sports Player of the Week, CollegeInsider.com Lou Henson Player of the Week, College Sports Madness High-Major Player of the Week and MAC West Division Player of the Week for those performances … his effort at Notre Dame lifted the Cardinals to their first ever true road win over a top-10 team … reached 1,000 career points at Bucknell (Nov. 22) and surpassed 1,000 for his BSU career in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals against Kent State (March 8) … went 9 for 9 from the free throw line in the Bucknell game … scored 20 or more points six times, including a season-high 29 on 12-of-18 shooting against Stony Brook (Nov. 17) ... scored double figures in 26 of 32 games ... recorded a season-high eight assists three times … had eight assists with just one turnover at Dayton (Nov. 10) … led the Cardinals in minutes per game (29.6) … shot 46.1 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from 3-point range.
2016-17 (Sophomore)
Named to the All-MAC Second Team … started all 34 games and led the Cardinals at 29.0 minutes per game … ranked second in the MAC in assists per game (4.9) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.419) … averaged 15.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game … his 17.1 scoring average in conference play ranked ninth in the league … became the first player in Ball State history to record at least 500 points (526) and at least 150 assists (167) in a season … his 167 assists ranked fifth on the Cardinals’ single-season list and were the most ever by a BSU sophomore … scored double figures in 17 of Ball State’s 34 games and topped 20 points eight times … scored a career-high 32 points at Central Michigan (Feb. 18) ... had 31 at Toledo (Feb. 28), where he made his first eight shots, including six 3-pointers … recorded double-figure assists in three games, including a career-high 14 against IU Kokomo (Nov. 29) and 13 at Northern Illinois (Feb. 14) … recorded BSU’s first points/assists double-double since 2010 against Southern Utah (Nov. 23) with 19 points and 10 assists … named the MAC West Division Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season (March 6).
2015-16 (Redshirt)
Sat out the season because of NCAA transfer rules … served as a member of Ball State’s scout team during practice.
Pre-Ball State
The Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year and a member of the All-Atlantic Sun Second Team in his one season at Northern Kentucky … led NKU in points (13.1), assists (3.7), steals (1.1) and minutes (28.7) per game … also averaged 4.6 rebounds … scored in double figures 22 times, including a 30-point effort at Chattanooga and a 31-point performance at Jacksonville … had two double-doubles of points and rebounds.
High School
Selected as an Indiana All-Star following his senior season at Kokomo for coach Brian McCauly … a three-time All-North Central Conference First Team selection … twice named the conference MVP … averaged 18.2 points per game in his senior season … led Kokomo to four sectional championships, two North Central Conference titles, one regional championship and one state runner-up finish ... scored 1,131 career points despite missing a large chunk of his senior season to injury ... also a two-way standout in football for Kokomo.
Personal
Full name is Tayler Anthony Persons ... born Aug. 31, 1995 in Kokomo, Indiana ... son of Doug and Tracy Persons ... has two siblings, Matthew DeBusk and Olivia Persons … a general studies major.
All-MAC in each of his three years at Ball State (twice first team and once third team) … joined the Cardinals as a transfer from Northern Kentucky, where he was the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year in 2014-15 ... the first Cardinal ever with at least 1,500 points and 400 assists, finishing his Ball State career ninth in school history in points (1,558) and third in assists (447) … started all 99 games of his BSU career, finishing second on the program’s all-time list for consecutive starts behind only Ray McCallum (104) … averaged 15.7 points and 4.5 assists for his BSU career … for his full collegiate career, he compiled 1,950 points and 559 assists … reached the 1,000-point mark in just 69 games ... four-time MAC West Division Player of the Week.
2018-19 (Senior)
All-MAC Third Team … Preseason All-MAC West Division … two-time MAC West Player of the Week (Jan. 21, Feb. 11) … started all 33 games … ranked sixth in the MAC in scoring at a career-best 16.7 points per game and fourth in assists at 4.3 per game … led the team in both categories … also ranked sixth in the league in free throw percentage at 80.0 percent … reached double figures 30 times, including 12 straight games to end the season … hit the 20-point mark nine times … scored a season-high 29 points in wins over Appalachian State and Northern Illinois … hit a career-high six 3-pointers in the victory at NIU … went 12-for-12 from the foul line in the overtime win over App State … handed out a season-best nine assists in the win over Evansville … selected after the season to compete in the second annual 3X3U National Championship and helped the MAC team to third place in a field of 32 teams representing every Division I conference.
2017-18 (Junior)
All-MAC Second Team ... Preseason All-MAC West Division ... Ball State’s leader in scoring (15.0) and assists (4.3) ... ranked fifth in the MAC in assists per game ... hit game-winning 3-pointers in the last four seconds of three games, defeating No. 8 Notre Dame (Dec. 5), Valparaiso (Dec. 9) and Bowling Green (Feb. 6) ... scored go-ahead or game-tying points in the final 20 seconds of regulation a total of six times … scored 24 points in the Notre Dame game and 23 in the Valpo contest, four days apart … named NBC Sports Player of the Week, CollegeInsider.com Lou Henson Player of the Week, College Sports Madness High-Major Player of the Week and MAC West Division Player of the Week for those performances … his effort at Notre Dame lifted the Cardinals to their first ever true road win over a top-10 team … reached 1,000 career points at Bucknell (Nov. 22) and surpassed 1,000 for his BSU career in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals against Kent State (March 8) … went 9 for 9 from the free throw line in the Bucknell game … scored 20 or more points six times, including a season-high 29 on 12-of-18 shooting against Stony Brook (Nov. 17) ... scored double figures in 26 of 32 games ... recorded a season-high eight assists three times … had eight assists with just one turnover at Dayton (Nov. 10) … led the Cardinals in minutes per game (29.6) … shot 46.1 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from 3-point range.
2016-17 (Sophomore)
Named to the All-MAC Second Team … started all 34 games and led the Cardinals at 29.0 minutes per game … ranked second in the MAC in assists per game (4.9) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.419) … averaged 15.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game … his 17.1 scoring average in conference play ranked ninth in the league … became the first player in Ball State history to record at least 500 points (526) and at least 150 assists (167) in a season … his 167 assists ranked fifth on the Cardinals’ single-season list and were the most ever by a BSU sophomore … scored double figures in 17 of Ball State’s 34 games and topped 20 points eight times … scored a career-high 32 points at Central Michigan (Feb. 18) ... had 31 at Toledo (Feb. 28), where he made his first eight shots, including six 3-pointers … recorded double-figure assists in three games, including a career-high 14 against IU Kokomo (Nov. 29) and 13 at Northern Illinois (Feb. 14) … recorded BSU’s first points/assists double-double since 2010 against Southern Utah (Nov. 23) with 19 points and 10 assists … named the MAC West Division Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season (March 6).
2015-16 (Redshirt)
Sat out the season because of NCAA transfer rules … served as a member of Ball State’s scout team during practice.
Pre-Ball State
The Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year and a member of the All-Atlantic Sun Second Team in his one season at Northern Kentucky … led NKU in points (13.1), assists (3.7), steals (1.1) and minutes (28.7) per game … also averaged 4.6 rebounds … scored in double figures 22 times, including a 30-point effort at Chattanooga and a 31-point performance at Jacksonville … had two double-doubles of points and rebounds.
High School
Selected as an Indiana All-Star following his senior season at Kokomo for coach Brian McCauly … a three-time All-North Central Conference First Team selection … twice named the conference MVP … averaged 18.2 points per game in his senior season … led Kokomo to four sectional championships, two North Central Conference titles, one regional championship and one state runner-up finish ... scored 1,131 career points despite missing a large chunk of his senior season to injury ... also a two-way standout in football for Kokomo.
Personal
Full name is Tayler Anthony Persons ... born Aug. 31, 1995 in Kokomo, Indiana ... son of Doug and Tracy Persons ... has two siblings, Matthew DeBusk and Olivia Persons … a general studies major.
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