In December it was widely believed that 6’8" versatile forward DeAndre Daniels would end up a Kansas Jayhawk following the semester break. After spending time at IMG Academy in Florida the forward was one of the top ranked prospects still on the board and Kansas appeared to have beaten out early favorite Texas Longhorns for his services.
Fast forward to January and nothing happened. Despite the rumors, Daniels remained in prep school where he is wrapping up the academic year. Since that time Duke has entered and exited the picture, some talk of Kentucky has emerged at times, but Kansas and Texas have been the constants.
A quick glance at the rosters of both schools leads to an easy conclusion and that’s the fact that Daniels is a game changer for someone. Daniels is a 6’8" small forward with great versatility on the perimeter and the ability to score from anywhere on the court. For Texas you need look no further than recently departed Jordan Hamilton for a comparison. At Kansas there have been a multitude of forward that have developed into NBA big men and while that mold doesn’t necessarily fit Daniels, he would have the opportunity to jump right into the Kansas rotation and most likely grab an even greater number of minutes because of his ability to play a Marcus Morris type four spot as well the three spot that appears to be his natural position.
It’s not entirely known whether or not Daniels will in fact make a decision on the final day of the late signing period which is Wednesday. Some believe he will be a Jayhawk, others see the recruiting battle as an ongoing struggle that likely won’t wrap up until enrollment in the fall. Either way it’s a late addition for some school and a potential game changer for the two perceived front runners in Kansas and Texas.