Thursday, December 07, 2000
Princeton High grad surprising UK
Tubby on Daniels: 'He has played amazing'
By
The Associated Press
Erik Daniels
(AP photo)
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — He may not have arrived with the hoopla of Kentucky's other freshmen, but Princeton High's Erik Daniels is proving to his teammates and to the world that he's not intimidated by big-time college basketball.
Daniels has played in five of Kentucky's six games, missing the season opener against St. John's while recovering from preseason knee surgery. Since then, he has made 87 percent of his shots from the floor (20-of-23), including four of six 3-pointers, and 70 percent of his shots from the foul line (21-of-30) to average 13 points a game and become the Wildcats' second leading scorer behind Keith Bogans.
Three times he has scored in double figures, including 19 points in a blowout victory over Jacksonville State. He had eight points, five rebounds and five assists in Kentucky's 93-76 victory over North Carolina on Sat urday, and followed that up with a solid 14-point, five-rebound performance in Tuesday's victory over Eastern Kentucky.
Kentucky coach Tubby Smith will not allow freshmen to speak with the media. But he has no qualms telling reporters what he thinks of the lanky 6-foot-7, 200-pound swingman.
“Erik Daniels has played amazing,” Smith said. “If he keeps that up, he will make a big difference in the team; he has already. He's always versatile, he has good hands, he can run, he's a good passer and he is very coachable.”
His teammates also have been impressed.
“He's been a huge spark for us,” point guard Saul Smith said. “He's shown a lot of poise, and he's always around the ball in one way or another.”
Daniels' quick start may have been aided by his relative anonymity compared to more highly touted recruits like Jason Parker, Cliff Hawkins and Gerald Fitch.
“I wouldn't say it is easier for him,” Saul Smith said. “But it certainly makes him less uptight because he isn't in the position that Jason Parker is, where he will be criticized every game. It has panned out great for him and the team.”
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Princeton High grad surprising UK
