Junior guard Brent Taylor had to wait a few weeks before making his season debut in December for Lincoln-Way East.

Taylor suffered an ankle injury in preseason practice but did everything he could to make it back as soon as possible.

“Rehab, ice buckets, medicine,” Taylor said of how he helped get the ankle back into playing shape. “It was tough to sit out, but I knew I was going to come back bigger and stronger.”

As if he didn’t have enough trouble with his health at the beginning of the season, Taylor was sick this week.

“I don’t know what happened,” Taylor said. “My body wasn’t responding the right way.”

It sure responded the way he wanted to Friday night.

The 6-foot-3 Taylor came off the bench midway through the first quarter, scoring 15 points to go with three rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot to help the Griffins to a 80-67 Southwest Suburban Blue victory over Sandburg in Orland Park.

Sophomore guard BJ Powell led the Griffins (11-4, 2-2) with 19 points and Brenden Sanders added 16, including eight in the first quarter to set the tone. Coach Rich Kolimas won his 400th career game.

Sandburg (8-8, 0-3) was paced by Paulius Mizeras with 18 points. David Vargas had 16 points, followed by Ryan Tomczak with 13.

The Eagles, who missed five layups, trailed by 21 points heading into the fourth quarter and chopped the lead to 11 late in the game but could get no closer.

Taylor, meanwhile, waited patiently to start the season. He had 21 points in his first game Dec. 9 against Lindblom at the Team Rose Shootout. But he’s used to being patient.

“When I was in seventh grade, I hurt my neck and had surgery and missed the season,” he said. “In eighth grade, I was ready to take basketball serious and it was the COVID year, and we just practiced at Summit Hill.”

Kolimas said when Taylor came to Lincoln-Way East as a freshman there was some rust but it didn’t last long.

“He was definitely a work in progress to start,” Kolimas said. “Although as soon as he started playing and gaining his strength back, the coaches as the lower level were saying, ‘This kid can play — we gotta develop him.”

The development has been impressive.

“When you see him on the open floor, he is a dynamite player,” Kolimas said. “And he’s not yet shooting the way he is capable of shooting.”

Powell also is glad to have Taylor back in the lineup.

“He’s a good player,” Powell said. “He’s a three-level scorer. Whenever we need a bucket, we go to him.”

The Griffins have won six games in a row, including the championship of the Effingham Christmas Classic Tournament.

The first six players in their rotation Friday consisted of three sophomores and three juniors. There were a few growing pains during a four-game losing streak in December, with setbacks to Homewood-Flossmoor, Lindblom and Bolingbrook and a 56-55 heartbreaker to Yorkville.

“We have young players,” Taylor said. “But we can all play.”

Powell, who has gained the attention of Purdue, Iowa, Michigan and Wake Forest, believes Lincoln-Way East is on the right track.

“I feel like we’re the same team every night,” Powell said. “Some of those losses were close and games we could have won. We need to win those games.”

Taylor, who plays AAU for MeanStreets and is getting looks from Northern Iowa and Western Illinois, loves to be on the court.

“It’s just like my happy place,” he said. “It something where I can escape with basketball. There is something about putting that orange ball in the rim.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.