Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor drives between Michigan's Zack Novak, left, and Manny Harris during a 62-44 win last season. Taylor and the 12th-ranked Badgers return to Crisler Arena on Wednesday night.

AnnArbor.com file photo

Jordan Taylor surveys the floor, always analyzing and reading the situation. How he reads an opponent's tendencies and makes the right decisions is instinctual now.

But when the Wisconsin junior point guard tries to explain his ability, he fumbles more looking for an answer than he has on the court this season.

“I’m not really a flashy type of guy or anything like that,” Taylor said. “I’m just trying to take what defenses are giving me. And, coach (Bo) Ryan, I learned a lot from him just being here the past three years, not trying to force anything."

His ability to read, react and dominate has frustrated Big Ten coaches all season. That includes Michigan’s John Beilein, who will see Taylor again when the Badgers visit Crisler Arena on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).

“Whatever you take away from him, he just sees it and takes something back from you,” Beilein said. “Every time you attack him, either defensively or offensively in different ways, just great vision.”

It is that vision that makes Taylor one of the nation’s best point guards, a Cousy Award candidate for the country’s best at the position.

His 4.13 assist-to-turnover ratio is tops in the country. While the Bloomington, Minn., native only averages 4.3 assists this year, his 1.2 turnovers in almost 35.8 minutes a game make the numbers remarkable.

“There’s nothing wrong with having eight points and five assists or 20 points and six assists as long as you’re efficient on offense," Taylor said. "That’s a point guard’s job.”

Taylor said he can be flashy, but he only goes there when it is the correct play. It's about finding the best path for a pass or the best way to get to the basket.

With All-American forward Jon Leuer and the second-best 3-point shooter in the Big Ten, forward Keaton Nankivil, surrounding him, the flash often gives way to substance.

“Those guys make it easy to have numbers like that because they are so good with the ball,” Taylor said. “You can always trust if you’re throwing them a pass, even if it is a tougher degree of pass, they are going to come away with it.”

His offensive rating, which is barometer for a player’s efficiency, is 131.7. Much of that comes from his decision making, a contrast to Taylor’s freshman year, when he was a lightly-recruited prospect and played behind former Badgers standout Trevon Hughes.

He watched how Hughes operated Ryan’s swing offense with extreme precision and learned from it. As he sat on the bench — Taylor averaged 13.2 minutes his freshman year — he believed he’d eventually contribute.

Like most freshmen, Taylor had to adapt. In his sophomore season, he started half of Wisconsin’s games and averaged 10 points. His 3-point shooting jumped from 19.2 percent to 32.7 percent. And that set up what he’s been able to do this season, when he’s averaged 17.8 points, nearly doubled his assist rate from 2.3 last year to 4.3 this year and is shooting 41.3 percent from the 3-point line.

“He’s money in the bank off the dribble, off the catch," Beilein said. "He really has developed."

His progress has been similar to Michigan’s emerging star, sophomore point guard Darius Morris. Taylor said he sees similarities in himself and Morris, from the way they see the court to reading defenses and making the best possible decisions.

The difference? It goes back to flash.

“He’s more of a flashy guy,” Taylor said. “More of a SportsCenter Top 10 guy, at times, because he makes a lot of nice passes and sees the floor really well. I think we do a lot of things similar, but he’s a little bit bigger.

“Every point guard, to a certain extent, plays alike.”

Few in college, though, play the position better than Taylor.

Michael Rothstein covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.