Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On November 20, 2012, Grinnell College guard Jack Taylor scored 138 points to set the NCAA single-game scoring record. The run-and-gun realization of the Grinnell System, Taylor’s scoring record stands as a testament to an unusual approach to the high-octane basketball characteristic of coach David Arseneault’s system (and David Arseneault Jr.).
When Arseneault took over the Grinnell basketball program in 1989, the Pioneers had not completed a season with a winning record in 25 years. The coach set about putting together what came to be known as the Grinnell System, which focused on taking as many three-point shots as quickly as possible. The six main tenants of the Grinnell System instructed players the first possible shot is the best possible shot, three-point shoots are preferable to any other shot, an uncontested layup is better than a shot clock violation, an opposing player with the ball should always be double-teamed, all players aside from the shooter chase offensive rebounds and offensive rebounds should be sent back out for another three-point attempt.
Under the Grinnell System, Arseneault’s teams found success. Under his leadership through 2012, the team captured five conference championships, made the postseason 11 times, and led all of college basketball in scoring in seventeen of nineteen seasons. After David Arseneault Jr. took over the program in 2018, the Pioneers continued to run the system. The teams have continued to realize success with the program’s characteristic run-and-gun style.
Taylor transferred to Grinnell following two seasons at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In his first season, he led the Pioneers in scoring by averaging 23.5 points in 13.5 minutes of playing time. On November 20, 2012, Arseneault Jr. gave Taylor the green light in a game against Faith Baptist, and Taylor responded by setting the NCAA record for most points in a game. Taylor racked up 138 points in the 179-104 Pioneer win while shooting 52-108 from the field and 27-71 from three-point range. #IowaTimeMachine #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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