Taybron could stay in-state

In recent weeks Oklahoma has fallen out of the running for both Jammal Brown and as of today also lost out on Purdue signing Tarrance Crump. It's entirely possible that the Sooners could decide to make Terrell Everett the full-time point guard, but it seems head coach Kelvin Sampson and the rest of the Oklahoma coaching staff have not yet given up hope on finding a junior college point guard.

After traveling to Idaho and Alabama for Brown and Crump, respectively, it seems that next option is in their own home state. Admittedly, finding Wilburton, Okla. and Eastern Oklahoma State college isn't the easiest of tasks even for a player who spent a year under the tutelage of college basketball legend John Chaney at Temple.

It seems the Sooners have taken an interest in Mountaineer point guard Mario Taybron according to head coach Jimmy Voight.

"Mario will be taking a visit to Oklahoma this weekend," said Voight. "Oklahoma has come out to several of his games this year. You would obviously have to ask them but I think that once some of their players started leaving they needed to find some more guards and it seems like Mario is one of those guys."

The departures that Voight spoke of opened up holes at both the shooting guard and point guard and it's been some question of what Taybron would play at Oklahoma. In Voight's opinion there is no real need for the question.

"For Temple he started the first six games at point guard. I realize that Temple hasn't been in good years as their great teams of the past but starting for John Chaney is quite an accomplishment regardless," he said. "For us he plays both, but from what I can tell Oklahoma likes him as a point guard."

Taybron started his first six games as a Temple Owl under Chaney, and while some will worry about why Taybron couldn't stick in Temple Voight says that the problems in Philadelphia are a far cry from what he's seen in Wilburton.

"I think he had some academic problems while he was up there, just going to class and things like that," he said. "Here, we've not had any problem with him. He's always done what we've asked."