MUCH like his fellow Aussie Tyrese Proctor, Taran Armstrong took impressive strides in his second season at the collegiate level.

For the past two years, Armstrong has been suiting up for the California Baptist Lancers, and in his debut campaign, the guard emerged as one of the best stories in Australian basketball. He burst onto the scene with the Lancers and announced himself as one of the best youngsters to come from the land down under.

Armstrong returned to the Lancers for a second season, and showed improvements in his already strong game over the course of the 2022/23 season. He should continue to take a big role for the team and take further strides after a second consecutive campaign.

Not only did his scoring numbers increase over the course of the fixture in comparison to his debut year, Armstrong’s efficiency got better, indicating he had a better understanding of when to fire off a shot, and when to get his teammates involved.

Armstrong averaged 11.3 points per game, 0.8 more than the 2021/22 season, while also shooting a better clip from the field. The talented guard shot an impressive 45 per cent from the field, up more than five per cent on his accuracy last year. The leap largely came from inside the arc, where he looked much more confident in his ability to finish inside and avoid blocks or contests from the opposition.

He was once again a key figure in instigating California Baptist’s offence, and the team looked much better when the play ran through him. Some of his teammates stepped up on the rebounding front, so his numbers went down in that category. However, he still used his size (six-foot-six as a guard) to still contribute on the boards.

Armstrong’s scoring capability was on display during a three-game stretch in late January and early February, where he produced point totals of 24 (11/13 FT), 19 (7/14 FG) and 25 (10/12 FG). It was the most aggressive he looked all season, and showed that if given the opportunity, Armstrong can lead an offence on the scoring front.

The signs continued to be promising for Armstrong in his sophomore season as a member of the Lancers. The Tasmanian native is one of the strongest Australian players in the college program, and is set to develop further in the coming years.