SIUE recruit, Collinsville all-state guard Ray’Sean Taylor suffers torn ACL
After having his hopes and dreams of leading the Collinsville Kahoks to the Class 4A state title taken away by Covid-19 in March, basketball misfortune has once again struck Ray’Sean Taylor.
A first-team Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state player a year ago when he led the Kahoks to the Southwestern Conference title and berth in the Class 4A sectional title game, the 6-1 Taylor suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during summer workouts with the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars last week.
Taylor signed with the SIUE this spring. The program made the announcement of Taylor’s injury on social media on Tuesday.
In a statement on social media, Taylor underwent an MRI immediately following the workout. The MRI revealed that Taylor sustained a torn ACL.
Taylor will be out indefinitely and his return to the court will depend on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation.
“I feel bad for Ray’Sean. He had worked really hard to have an opportunity to bring his high school team and the City of Collinsville a state championship which was cut short because of COVID 19. Now as he was just starting his career at SIUE he again has basketball taken away from him,” SIUE coach Brian Barone said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with him and his family, and we will do all we can to help him recover and have a great return to the court when he is ready.
“This community has really embraced Ray’Sean over his career and right now I am confident they will continue to do so as he gets ready to come back better than ever.”
Also a first team Associated Press all-state selection, Taylor led the metro-east in scoring, averaging 23.6 points, while recording six rebounds, five assists and nearly three steals per game for a Collinsville team which was ranked among the top five Class 4A squads in the state all season.
Taylor, who finished his senior season with 804 points, ended his high school career with 2,167 points, the most in Collinsville High School history. Taylor was also fourth in Illinois Mr. Basketball voting for the 2019-2020 season
This story was originally published August 5, 2020 at 7:14 PM.
