Mike Taylor thought he’d gotten away from the freezing temperatures of Ames.

As temperatures reached the mid 30s Monday evening in Boise, the former Cyclone point guard isn’t just getting used to the cold – he’s adjusting to a new life in basketball as a member of the Idaho Stampede, part of the NBA’s Developmental League.

“It’s good,” Taylor said. “The people are nice. Everybody’s nice. It’s real welcoming. It’s been kind of cold. I thought I was going to get away from the cold weather for a little bit.”

Life hasn’t always been so welcoming, or warm for that matter, for Taylor. After being dismissed from the Cyclones in July, the point guard more known for his off-court problems than his play on the court struggled to get back into the game.

A career cut short

He never wanted to leave the Cyclones, but Taylor had forced first-year coach Greg McDermott into a corner.

After earning all-Big 12 honors in his first year with the Cyclones, the first-year guard was suspended last March following a charge of vandalizing an apartment at Frederiksen Court.

Taylor’s troubles continued in April when he was cited for shoplifting a bottle of cold medicine at Cub Foods, 3121 Grand Ave.

His stay in Ames ended in July when he “fell short of the goals that were set for him,” McDermott said that month.

The decision to remove Taylor from the team was not easy for McDermott, who saw endless potential in his starting point guard.

“Obviously, he didn’t want to leave, but for Mike to move forward as a person and a player was probably in his best interest, and we felt like it was in the best interest of our program at that particular time,” McDermott said.

That move was equally troubling for Taylor, who had bonded with teammates – including then-freshman Wesley Johnson. A native of Milwaukee, Taylor called Ames home.

“I was real disappointed,” said Taylor. “I loved the atmosphere. I loved the college life and everything.”

All that came to an end in the summer of 2007 – a move that would force Taylor to look elsewhere to continue his basketball career.

A life-saver

It didn’t take trainer Guss Armstead long to learn what type of player Taylor was. Armstead, who works in Sacramento, has worked with a number of NBA players, including Troy Hudson.

Before meeting the former Cyclone guard last July, he’d seen tape of Taylor and was impressed with his talent on the court. Off the court, he saw something else.

“Mike was just looking for some direction and he was just looking for some structure – and I think that I was able to give him some direction and give him some structure,” Armstead said.

Some of that structure included advice as to where Taylor’s career should go next. After a short stint with the Clayton State Lakers, an Atlanta-based Division II school, Taylor looked for other options.

Taylor said most Division I schools showed little interest in him. After averaging 16.0 points and 4.5 assists per game in his only season at Iowa State, Taylor struggled to find a school that would offer a scholarship to a player with his off-court reputation.

“Because of some of the mistakes I made at Iowa State, I guess some of them were reluctant to bring me in there,” Taylor said.

Taylor gave up college and hired an agent, hoping to change more than just his game.

Changing his ways

The move to Sacramento wasn’t easy for Taylor. For two months, he worked out with Armstead. Spending five days a week in the gym, he worked on his game three times a day and lifted weights twice a day, hoping to add to his 6-foot-2, 165-pound frame .

Taylor saw improvement to his game. Armstead saw him developing maturity.

“He’s a really ambitious kid, and I think he sees something as far as a goal and he’s going to strive to get that,” Armstead said. “The off-the-court stuff, he’s addressed – and he’s truly sincere about some of the mistakes that he’s had in the past.”

It’s that ambition that would eventually land a him a tryout with the Stampede of the D-League.

“When I thought that one door was closed, [God] opened up another one,” Taylor said. “He’s continually opening up doors for me.”

Taylor hopes to make the best of that opportunity.

D-League success

It’s bigger, faster – and nothing like college – but in his first year in the D-League, Taylor has found success. He is averaging 13.3 points and a little over 25 minutes of play per game. He’s also finding himself in a role he’s not accustomed to – behind former league MVP Randy Livingston in a new offense created by Stampede coach Bryan Gates.

“He has showed that he has faith in my ability,” Taylor said. “He’s given me the opportunity to showcase my talent at this level, and possibly beyond this level.”

It’s that next level – the NBA – that Taylor hopes to get to. Armstead thinks it’s a possibility, as does McDermott, who said he checks on Taylor’s statistics.

“Mike’s playing great basketball right now,” McDermott said.

He’s also learning the point guard position. After giving up 168 turnovers for the Cyclones last season, Taylor has labored under the tutelage of Livingston and is now averaging 3.61 turnovers per game.

“I’m learning the ins and outs about being a point guard at this level day in and day out,” said Taylor. “I feel good about where I’m at.”

Changing his rep

Taylor knows the reputation that follows him. Last June, he pled guilty to a fifth-degree criminal mischief charge for his actions at Frederiksen Court. His arrest at Cub Foods also resulted in a guilty plea on charges of fifth-degree theft. He said McDermott removed him for not attending classes during the summer school session.

He takes full responsibility for it all, saying the biggest thing he’s learned is how to carry himself off the court.

“I think that just comes with living life,” said Taylor. “Just comes with maturity. I owned up to my responsibility. I made mistakes, I’m not perfect – everybody has made mistakes – but as a human I accepted that I made those mistakes. I learned from those mistakes and that I did when I was younger when I didn’t know any better.”

In frequent telephone conversations, Johnson says he can tell there’s a change in Taylor.

“He doesn’t kid around as much as he used to,” Johnson said. “It’s the real world out there.”

Moving up?

On Friday, Taylor will participate in dunk contest at the inaugural D-League Dream Factory. The invitation confirms what Armstead knew all along: Taylor is an NBA-caliber player.

“I think if everything plays out the way it should, he’s definitely going to be a very productive NBA player,” Armstead said. “I’m excited about it. I’m excited about the opportunity he has.”

Two weeks ago, Taylor learned that his chances might have improved when he became eligible for the 2008 draft. Armstead said he’s talked to many scouts who have been impressed by his play.

His former teammates say he brings a lot to the court.

“He’s a hard-nosed player,” said Cyclone senior forward Rahshon Clark. “He hates to lose. He gives great energy and he’ll do whatever it takes to win. Whether it’s getting a stop, scoring or whatever, getting his team motivated – he’ll do it.”

Coming back

On Sunday, Taylor will return to the state that provided him with one of his best years. The Stampede travels to Des Moines to face off with the Iowa Energy on Sunday at Wells Fargo Arena. It’s a date Taylor’s been looking forward to.

“I’m real excited to come back,” Taylor said. “It’s going to be real. It’s somewhat like coming home for me because Iowa was my home for about a year and a half. It’s going to be a real welcoming.”

It’s also an opportunity for him to see many of the Cyclone fans who didn’t get a chance to say good-bye.

But he has a few things he wants them to know.

“I wouldn’t regret anything because everything happens for a reason, but if I could go back and change it back – the hands of time – I would have gone to class and I would have held up to my student part of being a student-athlete,” he said.

He said he also hopes to return to Ames to finish what he started. The former Cyclone is only 21 credits away from earning a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and is trying to fit another semester at Iowa State into his schedule.

Taylor also hopes fans will remember him for the player he was on the court and not for who he was off the court – someone entirely different now.

“Basketball is much more than just a game for me,” he said. “It’s a way of life and, if anything, I want them to know I appreciate the support – and when they think about Mike Taylor, just think about the fun I brought to the game and the excitement.”

Taylor’s stats

With Idaho Stampede (07-08):

13.8 PPG 4.3 APG 3.58 TO .513 FG% .380 3P%

With Iowa State (06-07):

16 PPG 4.5 APG 5.4 TO .376 FG% .360 3P%