Southern Illinois gets its man in Daniels

B.J. Young wasn’t the only member of St. Louis Gameface to make a name for himself on the AAU circuit this spring and summer.

Dantiel Daniels developed a reputation as an athletic forward with a non-stop motor; in 2011, Daniels will bring those skills to the Missouri Valley Conference, as he committed to Southern Illinois on Sunday.

“[It was] basically my relationship head coach [Chris] Lowery,” Daniels said. “I felt really comfortable. He didn’t sell me any BS and he didn’t promise fame and stuff, but he did promise me that I would graduate and get a great education. And he will make me a better player.”

Daniels, a 6-foot-5 power forward from Holt (Mo.), chose the Salukis over Oral Roberts, Western Kentucky, VCU and Colorado State.

“It wasn’t far from home and their coaching staff did a really good job recruiting me,” he said. “They were constantly mailing me stuff and called when they could.”

Daniels should be a perfect fit for Southern Illinois and Lowery, who preaches defense and hard work. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Lowery made Daniels a priority.

“He was really happy because he had been telling me I was their number one recruit for the longest so he was really excited that he had finally got me to commit,” Daniels said.

Although Southern Illinois has struggled somewhat over the past few seasons, Daniels feels he can help bring the Salukis back to where they were from 2004 to 2007 – the NCAA Tournament.

“I think I can make an impact right away because I play hard, I defend and I will push my team every game to get the W.”