PROVO — Former BYU star Russell Larson sat courtside at the Marriott Center, as usual, Wednesday night, keeping stats for the KSL Radio broadcast.
This time, Larson wore a green Southern Virginia T-shirt on his 6-foot-11 frame to honor his son, Taylor, a 6-4 freshman forward for the visiting Knights.
Taylor Larson played 17 minutes and scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in the Knights' 101-48 loss to BYU.
“That’s always kind of a dream for a player, that you continue the legacy,” said Russell, who is No. 6 all time in scoring at BYU. “For Taylor, he has all the skills to be a Division I player and to be a Cougar, but he’s stuck in a body that doesn’t allow him to do the things that he was hoping to do when he was a young kid. That’s OK. He’s got an entire life to live and he won’t hit his head on door frames and he’ll fit in his clothes. It’s a good thing.”
Taylor Larson, an American Fork High product, was one of several Beehive State connections on the Southern Virginia roster. Guard Preston Eaton is from Mapleton and is the brother of BYU women's basketball star Lexi Eaton. Preston scored a game-high 11 points on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor against the Cougars.
Southern Virginia, a Division III school located in Buena Vista, Virginia, also has Scott Edwards (Provo), Ryan Logan (Cedar City), Ben Canevari (Murray), and Corey Jones (Sandy) on its roster.
After the game, dozens of Larson supporters mingled on the floor — many wearing those green T-shirts — to greet Taylor and take pictures with him.
“I’m just so proud of him. So many memories here,” Russell Larson said. “I’ve been spending my winters here cheering on the Cougars. For so many years, it’s been something that’s a part of me. To have Taylor be in there and on the same court I used to run around on, it means a lot. I know it means a lot to him, too. To get on this court and play in this capacity is perfect for him. It’s all I could ever hope for.”