If DeAndre Daniels can bottle up the performance he turned in Friday night at the Garden, he could find himself in NBA arenas for a long time.
Connecticut’s multi-talented 6-foot-9 junior forward took over large portions of the NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinal, leading the seventh-seeded Huskies to an 81-76 victory over No. 3 Iowa State and a berth in Sunday’s regional final. He scored 27 points, made 10-of-15 shots, added 10 rebounds and blocked two shots.
“When DeAndre plays like that, it really gives us that X-Factor,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said.
Guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright came out on fire from 3-point range, combining to make six 3-pointers, and Daniels took care of the rest. He scored 11 of the Huskies’ first 13 points to start the second half as UConn built a commanding 49-32 lead.
“In the beginning, DeAndre was kind of pressing. He wanted to make a big impact,” Napier said. “I just told him, ‘Calm down, the game is going to come to you.’ DeAndre’s a scorer. Once you feel that you have that confidence, the next shot is going to go in. We kept feeding him and he got super hot. We had to cool his hand down. He kept going.”
It’s no coincidence UConn has soared since the postseason began — just as Daniels has found his stroke. Including the Huskies’ run to the AAC tournament championship game, Daniels has reached double figures in all six postseason games, five of them wins, and is averaging 16.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and more than a block per game.
Friday was by far his most dominant performance, because of how well he played at both ends of the floor, rebounding, blocking shots and scoring inside and out.
“Its not about points with DeAndre, it’s about getting touches, it’s about bringing energy,” Ollie said. “When he does that, his talent takes over.
“His talent is very supreme. He’s an inside-out threat. … He pushed us over the top in the second half. That’s the kind of player he is. We want to continue to see that.”
Daniels, a Los Angeles native, entered UConn considered a possible one-and-done prospect. His career hasn’t necessarily gone according to his high ranking, but he’s now one win shy of the Final Four, and playing the best basketball of his up-and-down career.
“This is it. I just want to win,” Daniels said. “I want to play hard for my teammates. For our seniors on this team, I want them to go out with a good [feeling].”