Junior guard Sterling Taplin has emerged as a team-leader this season for head coach Frank Haith's squad. The East Amherst, N.Y., native has started 29 games and he is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg, which ranks 23rd in the American Athletic Conference. Taplin, who averaged 11.5 ppg during league action, also ranks fifth in the conference at 4.4 assists per game.
He has set career highs this season in field goals (122), 3-pointers (38), points (340), rebounds (108) and assists (128) and he has climbed to No. 19 on the program's all-time assists charts with 271 in his three seasons.