Conerway committed to Indiana and Darian DeVries out of the transfer portal.
They were looking at a full roster rebuild.
The incoming staff at Ranger College was looking for a clean slate in 2022-23. Zach VerHulst, now Ranger’s head coach, was brought on as an assistant and was making his way to remote Ranger, Texas, when his boss, TJ Cox, called and started talking about this one player from the previous year’s roster:
Tayton Conerway.
Plenty of players from the existing roster were interested in returning, but Conerway stood out. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game the previous season.
The other thing that kept showing up in his box scores? Wins.
“Every time he was playing, no matter who was on his team, he won,” VerHulst said. “That was the biggest thing that stuck out with him. No matter what drill it was, whether it was a shooting drill, whether it was five-on-five, three-on-three, whatever it was, he won.”
But the new staff wasn’t going to just hand Conerway a roster spot. The talent was readily apparent, but they were going to make him work for it and see how he responded to pressure, being set up to fail.
They set him up in practice drills with a bunch of different lineups, eventually getting to players from the end of Ranger’s bench and even walk-ons. Everyone involved could tell what was happening.
“He was just taking control of the game,” VerHulst said. “There’s him scoring, scoring, scoring and then all of a sudden he’d be seeing double teams and triple teams. He’s making the right play and getting guys an open shot or an open layup.”
He just kept winning.
When he’d win he’d let everybody in the gym know it, including the staff. But he wasn’t just talking for himself. When a member of his team made a shot or a play, he’d speak up on their behalf.
That’s just the type of player he is, VerHulst said. If he’s not scoring the ball himself, he’s making sure it’s getting into the best position possible to end up in the basket.
Trovocie Jackson coached Conerway when the two were at Centennial High School in Burleson, Texas. That offensive versatility and defensive tenacity has always been a part of Conerway’s game, Jackson said.
Games seem to slow down for Conerway with his ability to quickly read a defense. He sees opportunities open up before they happen, finding angles and anticipating his opponent’s next move before reacting accordingly.
“Seeing things and finding these angles to be able to pass the ball to guys, he did that very, very easily,” Jackson said.
On top of that, Conerway has big, strong hands and uses both on the basketball court. He’s right hand dominant, but can drive and score with either hand.
That strength carries over to the defensive end of the court, where he can just as easily anticipate his matchup’s next move and use those hands to go for the basketball. He’s logged steal percentages of 5.6 in each of his two years at the Division-I level with Troy, which ranked third nationally each season, according to KenPom’s database.
“He just has a nose for the ball,” Jackson said. “He sees the ball, he trusts his instincts, he anticipates really, really well and he’s confident and fearless in taking a chance on going for it.”
Another strength of Conerway’s cited by both Jackson and VerHulst is how hard he plays, even though it may not necessarily look like it.
Those effort plays, especially in transition, come easily to him, VerHulst said. Jackson described his overall style as being slippery and smooth while VerHulst said he makes those fastbreak opportunities look effortless.
“It looks like he’s just gliding up the court, it doesn’t look like he’s even breaking a sweat,” VerHulst said. “Then it’s an incredible play, whether it’s an incredible finish, a dunk or a layup, or a pass to somebody else. It almost looks like he’s playing in slow motion.”
The game might look like it comes easily for Conerway, but Jackson said he constantly works to improve and always had a chip on his shoulder dating back to his high school days, the the point that opposing coaches would ask Jackson where that competitive spirit comes from.
Part of it comes from the recruiting process.
Jackson did whatever he could to schedule the most prominent teams in Texas and play in high-profile tournaments so coaches at the next level could get their eyes on Conerway.
College coaches would come, watch the games, and leave without asking about Conerway. When the final buzzers sounded and the gyms became empty, he’d walk to Jackson and embrace him.
“Am I really not good enough?”
“What are you talking about, dude? You’re the best guard in the dadgum state of Texas.”
“Well, why don’t they rock with me like that, man?”
Eventually Conerway would sit, take in the moment and turn back to Jackson.
“I’m gonna show ‘em.”
Conerway’s main focus on the court is making the right play for his team, be it a pass, a shot or a defensive stop. That desire to do whatever he can for those around him stays with him when he steps off the court too.
His house was always open to teammates in high school, Jackson said. If any player at Centennial’s program, varsity or not, ever needed a shirt or a pair of shoes, he was always there to offer and provide.
One year Centennial was set to play in a tournament over winter break between Christmas and New Year’s Day. As the team was loading up vans to set out across Texas, Conerway stopped them.
“Oh yeah! Hey, everybody! I got y’all these!”
From there Conerway started tossing packages to everyone: brand new Nike socks in green and red, Christmas colors, to wear for the tournament.
What sticks out the most about Conerway when he’s off the court is his smile, which Jackson notices whenever Conerway is with his mom, his friends or when he’s describing his passions aside from basketball, like raising livestock.
That smile made its way around Ranger College’s campus, from academic buildings to the athletic offices. Whenever Conerway showed up in those athletics offices he’d be sure to give out hugs to everyone from accounting personnel to the housing director.
Whenever VerHulst finds himself walking around campus these days he’ll have everyone from students to fellow athletics staff come up to him with the same request: find another Tayton Conerway.
“He’s got that big old smile and he knows how to talk to people,” VerHulst said. “Everyone just speaks so highly of Tayton for his time here. Obviously he was here for two years, but he’s just really made his mark.”
Both VerHulst and Jackson are excited for the chance to watch Conerway take the court for Indiana this coming season, with the latter saying Hoosier fans should be just as excited.
“He’s a kid that’s going to win,” Jackson said. “He plays hard. He competes even harder. He plays the game the right way, in terms of the level of passion, that the fans at IU are going to thoroughly enjoy.”