SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Feb. 23, 2026) – Persistence pays off in both collective awards and individual ones. Brian Taylor II had to wait on the individual, but he got it all the same.

The senior guard from St. Louis was named SoCon Player of the Week for the week ending February 22, 2026, by the conference office on Monday. Taylor scored 17 points and led ETSU with eight rebounds in a win over Furman on Wednesday, then sealed the regular season title for the Bucs with a 25-point outing at UNCG on Saturday. Taylor scored 15 of his 25 points after halftime, including 10 straight ETSU points to separate them from the Spartans in the final minutes.

It is Taylor's second Player of the Week award this season and the second for a Buccaneer. His first came after his triple-double performance against Central Arkansas on November 29.

The 2026 SoCon regular season champions play their final scheduled home game on Wednesday against Wofford at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at ETSUTickets.com.

For more information on ETSU men's basketball, go to ETSUBucs.com.