USC’s Fontan to Debut Against Former Friars Teammate

NEW YORK — Jio Fontan and Tyshawn Taylor have been talking smack on the phone and in text messages for several weeks now.

With Fontan set to make his debut Saturday for Southern Cal (6-4) against Taylor and No. 3 Kansas (9-0) at Allen Field House (noon, ESPN), the chatter is running high between the two old friends and former St. Anthony teammates.

“I told him that’s a terrible place for him to come back,” cracked Taylor, Kansas’ junior point guard from Hoboken, N.J.

Said Fontan: “I’ve been calling him telling him how we’re going to beat them and he’s been calling me telling me how they’re going to blow us out.”

Fontan and Taylor were teammates under Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley on the 2008 St. Anthony team that went undefeated, won a mythical national championship and produced six current Division 1 players, including Florida’s Mike Rosario, Pittsburgh’s Travon Woodall and Villanova’s Dominic Cheek.

While most of the hoopla surrounding the game will focus on heralded Kansas freshman Josh Selby, who makes his debut after sitting out an NCAA-mandated nine games for accepting impermissible benefits, Fontan will make his own debut after sitting out a year following his transfer from Fordham.

“I’m real excited,” Fontan, a Paterson, N.J. native, said by phone. “It’s been a year and 13 days since I played in my last college game. I want to finally put the Trojan jersey on and finally get going.”

The 6-foot, 175-pound Fontan made the A-10 All-Rookie team as a freshman in 2009 (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg) and averaged 15.0 points per game in five games last season at Fordham.

“I haven’t really seen him play in a while and I talk to him almost every day,” said the 6-3 Taylor, who visited Fontan in Los Angeles for a week last May. “I’m excited for him. I’m real excited for him.”

Ironically, neither Taylor nor Fontan ended up at the school to which they first committed out of St. Anthony.

Taylor initially signed a Letter of Intent to play for Marquette and then-coach Tom Crean. But after Crean left to take the Indiana job, Taylor sought his release and Hurley spoke up strongly in his defense.

“This thing of a National Letter of Intent binding a minor is absolutely ridiculous,” Hurley said in April 2008.

Taylor ultimately landed at Kansas, which should be a Final Four contender once Selby arrives.

When Fontan expressed his desire to leave Fordham after his freshman season and again midway through last year because of the uncertain coaching situation (Derrick Whittenburg was fired last December and replaced on an interim basis by Jared Grasso), Hurley did not believe it was a good idea. He thought Fontan should keep his commitment to Fordham, at least through the remainder of the season.

“I think they [Fordham] are on the verge of being much better next year,” Hurley said in April 2009. “He may be rushing the thing. He should give the school another year. The whole world is filled with everybody rushing to do things. Part of growing is battling through situations. My advice was stay one more year.”

Said Taylor: “Coach Hurley really didn’t want him to leave  because when nobody was looking at Jio and nobody was paying attention to him, Fordham stuck by him. And I think Coach Hurley thought Jio should do the same for them.”

By transferring mid-season, Fontan lost a year of eligibility and will only have one and a half years left.

He said he remains in contact with his old friends and teammates at Fordham, and took note when the Tom Pecora-coached Rams recently upset Steve Lavin and St. John’s at Rose Hill Gym.

“I’m happy where I am, but I’m happy for the younger guys [at Fordham],” Fontan said. “[Branden] Frazier is doing a good job. He’s only a freshman and he’s doing really well. Chris [Gaston] has just been Chris. I’m happy for all those guys.”

Still, he sounds refreshed and happy with his decision. He hits the weight room four times a week for an hour at a time, working on both upper and lower body exercises.

“I’ve working a lot harder individually,” Fontan said. “People think I should be resting . I’ve been putting more work in the weight room as the games get closer. I think it’s worked in my favor. When I practice I feel I have more stamina.”

Fontan, the engine who drove St. Anthony’s undefeated team, said head coach Kevin O’Neill told him he would start at shooting guard alongside freshman point guard Maurice Jones.

“Coach said I’ll start from this point on out for the rest of the season,” Fontan said. “I don’t know exactly who’s not going to start. It’s looking mostly likely I’ll be starting at the two and playing some one when Mo comes out the game.”

Whatever the case, Fontan and Taylor could well match up come Saturday. Let the smack talk fly.

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