James Daniel III

University of Tennessee/Howard

Point Guard

2018 NBA Draft Prospect

 

High School

James Edward Daniel, III is an American NCAA basketball player. Daniel graduated in 2013 from Phoebus High School in Hampton, Virginia with honors in academics as well as being decorated as a four year letterman. In 2013 Daniel earned the Tri-Player of the Year award and subsequently selected to the first team by the coaches of the Tidewater area. During his senior year, Daniel averaged 23 points and 4.5 assists per game. As a senior at Phoebus High School, Daniel was a catalyst in Phoebus experiencing its best overall basketball record in the school’s history.

 

James Daniel Jr., the younger Daniel’s father is a legendary coach in the Tidewater area. He has coached for more than 20 years, most recently at Phoebus High School in Hampton where he also coached his son. Daniel’s father served as assistant coach at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia when Allen “AI” Iverson played there, and did a short stint as an assistant at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.

 

Courted by Division I colleges, Daniel chose the Howard University Bison Basketball Team as his choice to play Division I Basketball.

 

AAU – Team Loaded/Boo Williams

Daniel was a standout performer during his AAU career. Daniel played for Coach White for four years with Team Loaded out of Petersburg, Virginia and he also played with the legendary Boo Williams organization for four years.

 

James “JByrd” Daniel III Freshman Year Awards – 2013-2014

James Daniel III completed his freshman year ranked as the number one scoring freshman guard in the nation and ranking 14th overall in scoring. He played both the point guard and shooting guard positions. Daniel was a nine-time Rookie of the Week award winner during his freshman collegiate basketball season.

Daniel finished the regular season averaging 22 points per game, ranking him 11th in the country in NCAA and tops among all freshman for the 2013-2014 season. Daniel shot 40 percent from three-point range and ranks ninth among all players in number of made three pointers per game (3.5).

 

Progressive Legends Classic All-Tournament Team, Nov. 26, 2013

The Progressive Legends Classic is an annual Division I college basketball tournament that is held in November. The location of the tournament varies on a rotating basis at different host cities and arenas. Daniel was the single freshman selected to the sub regional all-tournament team. 

 

Daniel was named as one of the “Biggest Overachievers” in College Basketball’s 2013-14 Freshman Class

Daniel was lauded as the only freshman near the top 10 in scoring. His 22 points per game were good for a tie for 11th in the land. Like many of the players on the list, he wasn’t on the radar as one of the country’s bigger recruits but made the list as one of the “Biggest Overachievers”.

 

MEAC Play and Awards

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) boasts Daniel as its leading scorer for the 2013-2014 season, averaging 22 points per game, scoring 20 or more points in 12 games and 30 or more in four games, including a career-high 38 points on the road. Described as a sharpshooter, Daniel scored in double figures in all 26 games he played and was named MEAC Rookie of the Year.

 

MEAC Confereance Tournament All-Conference Team

Daniel became the first freshman in Howard University’s school history to be named to the all-tournament team and the third to be named the Rookie of the Year. Daniel led the MEAC in points per game, free throw percentage and three point percentages for 2014. Daniel was also selected to the All-MEAC Third-Team.

 

Sixth BOXTOROW All-American Third-Team

Daniel was selected to the BOXTOROW Division I All-American Third-Team. He was the only freshman named to the first, second or third teams

 

2014 Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Award

Daniel was a Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Award finalist. He was the first player in school history (Howard University) to be so honored. Daniel led all freshmen in Division I in scoring and was in the Top 10 nationally in three pointers made.

Other awards bestowed upon Daniel were the Lindsey Hunter “Go To Hell Ball” award and the Howard University MBB Most Valuable Player.

 

2014-2015 Season Awards and Accolades

James Daniel III was selected by MEAC coaching as the preseason player of the year. He was named to 2015 MEAC All-Conference Second-Team, 2015 District 15 NABC Second-Team, and the BOXTOROW All-American Third-Team.

During the 2014-2015 season, Daniel led the Bison in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. He also led the team in assists (81), steals (55) and free throw shooting (82%). James Daniel is the first male player at Howard to eclipse the 1000 point mark in only his second season of play. In addition, Daniel led the conference in steals (1.83 per game), fourth in scoring (16.7 per game), 10th in assists (2.7 per game), 8th in free throw pct. (.817 per game), and fourth in three pointers made per game (2.27).

 

2015-2016 Season Awards and Accolades

James Daniel, III of Howards was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Week five times and co-player of the week once this season.

 

Daniel also earned, MVP of the Men Who Speak Up Event at the MGM Grand Arena and was named to Dr. Cavil’s 2015-2016 HBCU Men’s Major Division All-American First-Team

 

Daniel Becomes All-Time Leading Scorer

Washington, DC –James “J-Byrd” Daniel, III poured in a game-high 38 points to lead Howard University to a 77-74 win over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s game at Burr Gymnasium.

In the process, Daniel became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,755 points. He needed seven points to reach the milestone and he got the record on two free throws less than two minutes into the game.

 

James “J-Byrd” Daniel, III was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s player of the year as voted on by the head coaches and the conference sports information directors. He was voted to the All-Conference First-Team. He was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2015-16 NABC Division I all-District 15 team. Daniel also earned the 2015-16 Co-Player of the Year from both the Boxtorow and the Black College Sports Page.

 

Daniel, the 2016 MEAC Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection, led the nation in scoring from start to finish with 27.1 points per game. The 5-11 junior guard from Hampton, VA also led the nation in free throws made and attempted, was fourth in total points and fifth in total field goals. Daniel was second in the MEAC steals.

 

 

James Daniel II of Howard and Derrick Griffin of Texas Southern were named the co-players of the year, while Tennessee State head coach Dana Ford took home the coach of the year award.