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A Journey Fueled by Passion

Daniel's passion for sports can be traced back to his childhood when he was inspired by his dad and grandpa's love for sports. He chose to attend Vanderbilt University because he wanted a solid academic foundation and a chance to work in the sports industry. Although he didn't plan to work with the basketball team initially, he became the student manager and helped with all aspects of basketball operations. In the 2011-2012 season, Daniel and the Vanderbilt Men's basketball team won the SEC Conference Championship. While in college, he also interned with Dime, writing opinion pieces, player profiles, and background stories. One of his articles about the Milwaukee Bucks caught the attention of the team's General Manager, John Hammond. Hammond reached out to Daniel to hear his insights and opinions, ultimately paving the way for Daniel's introduction to the NBA. Daniel emphasizes the importance of connections in the industry and how having someone support, endorse, and guide one's career journey can be transformative.

From Intern to NBA Champion

Daniel realized the significance of providing value to the Bucks General Manager while keeping in touch with him. To achieve this, he built a comprehensive database of the 100 most promising prospects for the upcoming draft. The database contains the contact information of their respective college, high school, and AAU coaches. At the end of his junior year, he showed initiative by asking to fly to Milwaukee to observe draft workouts. Initially, when Daniel arrived at the draft workouts, he thought he shouldn't have come because he was alone and didn't know anyone. However, Hammond invited him into the draft meetings to share his insights and perspective. This experience solidified Daniel's pursuit of work in the NBA, which opened the door to an internship with the Bucks. After his first season with the Bucks, the organization underwent significant changes, including a shift in ownership and the hiring of Jason Kidd. Daniel transitioned from intern to the full-time role of Basketball Database Manager. His responsibilities included managing background and internal processes, scouting in the Midwest, and contributing to the salary cap and free agency decisions. During his nine years with the Bucks, Daniel held various organizational roles. He contributed to G-league operations, provided prospect information, and assisted with college scouting for the GM. His crowning achievement came in 2021 when the Bucks secured an NBA championship. Daniel attributes his success in basketball to his willingness to follow instructions, excel in his current role to gain trust and earn future opportunities.

Embracing Change: College Basketball NIL Evolution

Daniel had achieved great success with the Bucks. Still, he was eager for new challenges, especially in college basketball, where the landscape was rapidly evolving due to the emergence of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Daniel and Coach Blakeney recognized that a different part of the brain was responsible for specific tasks by cultivating relationships and fostering connections within the basketball industry. So, they created a new Men's Basketball program role and appointed Daniel as the Chief Program Strategist. As a part of his new role, he is responsible for various tasks such as planning NIL initiatives for student-athletes, liaising with the Howard University Alumni, community and civic outreach, day-to-day operations, and overseeing the largest student manager program that has over 100 members, of which 80% are female. In Daniel's first season at Howard, the men's basketball team won the regular-season championship outright for the first time since 1986-87. Daniel believes sports, like any other business, rely on information to succeed. Therefore, he is deeply committed to collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to enhance his knowledge in the field. With his passion for the game and meticulous attention to detail, Daniel is poised to impact college basketball.

Stay Tuned: This Week in Sports

Michigan defeats Alabama in OT to reach the National Championship; Washington beats Texas and will face Michigan in the title game.

The Eagles were stunned at home by the Cardinal’s No. 1 seed for the 49ers, while the Ravens clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed heading into week 18.

Last Two Minute Report affirms LeBron James' toe-on-the-line call in Lakers' loss to Timberwolves.

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