Taylor men’s basketball added extra skill to its backcourt with three heavily experienced transfer students: senior guard Kobe Funderburk, junior guard Chaz Harvey, and junior guard Kaleb Edwards.
As head coach, Austin Peters said the players he recruits need to fit several criteria.
While skills are important, he also focuses on a player’s fit with Taylor, the team’s mission and core beliefs, and filling needs on the court. Funderburk, Edwards, and Harvey checked all the boxes in different ways.
He said that the Taylor community, as well as the basketball team have been particularly welcoming to their new Trojan teammates.
“That’s what I love about Taylor, everybody here is so hospitable, and everybody is so kind and welcoming,” Peters said. “So our guys have adjusted right away.”
Peters described Edwards as a great basketball player and a great person, two important factors that gave him a spot on the team.
Originally playing for the Jaguars of Indiana-Indianapolis and Parkland College, Edwards said he needed a change in programs. With a history with Taylor and after talking to Peters, he decided it would be a good fit for him.
Edwards said prayer with the team has had a tremendous impact on him.
“Being able to pray together is a huge thing,” Edwards said. “We pray before every practice, before every game, and being able to just grow in my faith. I went to a Catholic high school, so I was missing that for the couple years I was in college. We didn’t really do any of that at my other last schools, so getting back to that has definitely been kind of nice.”
Peters said Harvey’s skills as a guard have allowed him to be a defensive asset for the team. With a need for depth in the guard position, Harvey's dynamic ball skills and disruptive nature on the court made him a top priority in the recruiting process.
Originally playing for Pace University in New York, Harvey said the Division II school wasn’t quite what he was searching for.
“We won and everything, but it just wasn’t the community that I was looking for,” Harvey said. “ I wanted to grow my relationship with Christ, and just build good relationships with my coaches and my teammates, and that is what really brought me to Taylor.”
Harvey commented on the comradery he shares with the team as brothers on the court, but also as brothers in Christ. Through Bible studies, sitting together at chapel in Rediger Auditorium and praying together as a team set Taylor apart from the rest for Harvey.
To round out the team, Peters said Funderburk’s ability to shoot on the move, off the catch, and a lot of different ways make him an important asset.
For Funderburk, his decision to come to Taylor was marked with major influences from his faith, his family, and dedication from Coach Peters.
He originally played for Tusculum University in Tennessee. Though it is challenging to be eight hours away from his hometown of Charlotte, he described little things that he felt God was using to direct his path to Taylor, such as coming across an Indiana license plate in Charlotte.
“It was little things like that, I know God was kind of just opening my eyes to come here and enjoy the experience,” Funderburk said.
Funderburk said the team environment has added to his decision to play for the team and to ease adjusting to Taylor.
“I remember my first time coming during summer camp, and they were always asking me questions, trying to get to know me,” he said. “And you know, I have never been welcomed like that anywhere before.”
The three new Trojans are already making an impact on the court and will look to help continue Taylor’s undefeated start to the season.
