Why Every Team Needs A Taylor Ortlepp

Basketball coaches always have an idea for their perfect team players. They always have that little extra edge and possess the right combination of skilled finesse and fierce competition. Off the court, they are the ultimate team companion, a consummate teammate who always smiles and laughs as a member of a group. On the court, they are willing to give every ounce of their body to the game to achieve victory.

At Boston College, Taylor Ortlepp is that player. She is the right combination of attitude, swagger and professionalism on the court, doing it with an effervescent smile that lights up the room as soon as she enters. She's a big part of the Eagles' rotation, and she's a big reason why the team enters its conference play with an 11-2 overall record after beating Dartmouth this past weekend.

"I think I've always been a competitive person," Ortlepp said. "But within this group, we're great at pushing at each other. By competing with each other as hard as we do, it comes naturally. It's my mentality to come and work as hard as I can for the team. I don't care if I'm coming off the bench or starting, if there's a way to make myself better or make this team better, I know I have to play my role (on the court)."

That mentality was at its peak on Saturday as the Eagles closed out the first half of the season with their 11th win. She scored 14 points, third most on the team, but dished five assists and got to the free throw line more than anyone else on her team. She converted four free throws, going along with her two three-pointers, while minimizing turnovers and staying out of foul trouble in 31 minutes on the floor.

It was her fifth straight game in double figures as part of a group display of all-around ability. She scored 25 points in BC's loss to Minnesota, hitting six shots from beyond the arc in the process. It came one game after she registered six steals against Bryant. Later in the stretch, she had four assists against Campbell with four more steals, and she tallied five helpers this weekend against the Big Green. All the while, she continued knocking down shots, averaging 16.6 points per game over that same span.

"I think everyone (on this team) has the ability to score," Ortlepp said. "Nobody is the main scorer that needs to score 20 points to win the game. We have an even spread of scorers and passers."

It's part of a larger system centered on an aggressively disciplined pace. Ortlepp started the year shooting inconsistently in the team's first few games but developed a knack for distributing the basketball. After hitting five shots in the season opener, she couldn't knock down more than two shots per game over the next four contests.

She offset it with different methods. She hit 1-of-10 against Saint Peter's but had seven rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, adding seven assists. She had no less than four assists in each of the Eagles' first eight games and had only one game with more than two turnovers. In addition, she remained aggressive on defense while hitting three personal fouls only once.

"When I'm in the game, I'm in there as a shooting guard," she said. "When the shots weren't dropping (consistently), I was always in trouble for not shooting enough. But I still had that confidence in my teammates and in myself. When I'm on, I know I can shoot it and they're going to get me the ball. At the same time, I can distribute and help the team."

It's the continuation and enhancement of a career that enjoyed a breakout individual performance last season. After playing 22 games as a freshman in 2016-2017, Ortlepp broke into the starting lineup last season and averaged 11.6 points per game. She tallied 7.2 rebounds and was second on the team with 77 assists, scoring in double-figures 14 times. She led the team in scoring nine times and became a force on the boards, even as she remained a guard.

It's what she hoped for when she committed to the Eagles. Ortlepp came to Chestnut Hill from literally the other side of the planet as an Australia native. Boston is more than 10,000 miles from her hometown of Adelaide, which itself is on the southern part of the South Australia state. For comparison, Adelaide is only 3,000 miles from Antarctica, as far from Gasson Hall and Conte Forum as anyone could possibly call home, but that's exactly what Boston has become for the former captain of the Opals' U-20 team..

"To be honest, I committed really late in the recruiting process," she said. "I took my time, but when I came and visited (BC), I got along with the girls on the team really great. The campus is really beautiful. We're clearly in the best basketball conference in America, so that was really appealing to me. I wanted to play against the best players. It's also one of the best academic institutions, so that was also (a factor). But I was really attracted to the high level of basketball and that option to better myself on and off the court.

"I always get my message from Mom or Dad that it's 4 a.m.," she continued. "They always wish me luck. They're watching the game. It makes me always thankful for this opportunity (to come this far from home)."

Ortlepp and her Eagles now turn their attention to conference play after New Year's Day. They will play Georgia Tech on January 3 at home before hosting No. 9 NC State on January 6. Both games can be seen on ESPN's ACC Network Extra, with the Georgia Tech game starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday before the game against the Wolfpack at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Players Mentioned

Taylor Ortlepp

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