Brent Pelella
Player Profile: DeAndre Daniels (So.)
Last season, as a freshman we saw glimpses of the highly coveted high-school star that Daniels came to UConn as. In his most impressive performance of the season, the long, athletic wingman went for 15 points and 7 rebounds.
The upside is tremendous on the California native and this season he will be called on to deliver. In 31 contests, Deandre has started 12 of them and averaged close to 12 minutes per game. Obviously, that’s not a huge sample to work with in terms of evaluating performance, but he did finish the season with 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
One of the biggest assets he brings to the table is his length and activeness on the defensive end. It allows him to cause problems and create positive plays. His 18 blocks and 11 steals are indicative of the type of stopper he can be.
Offensively, his production from the outside is something Coach Ollie and his staff is depending on this year. He only shot 24% from behind the arc last year, which did not make him a threat by any means. Granted, he is more effective as a slasher and mid-range jump shooter but his outside game will open the floor up dramatically.
As an expected starting forward, Daniels has a lot of responsibilities riding on his shoulders to almost mimic the production Jeremy Lamb had last season. Preparation and the understanding of his role will allow him to be successful this season, and play a big part in what UConn accomplishes.
Tonyf629 likes this.
