Prospect Watch: Daylon Dalton (2019)
The Francis Howell Vikings were one of the surprise teams during the 2017 season.
A big drop off was expected at Howell after losing a large group of seniors from a very successful 2016 campaign. Class of 2019 point guard Daylon Dalton and his teammates did not get that memo.
With the dynamic 5’6″ Dalton has the catalyst, the Vikings won 22 games and repeated as the Gateway Athletic Conference South champions. They fell just three points short of winning a Class 5 district title. However, the accomplishment of proving a lot of people wrong (including this writer) made the season even more successful.
“It meant a lot to me and my team because a lot of people doubted us,” Dalton said. “Me and my teammates really had something to prove this season.”
The Vikings were a well-balanced team that played as a unit and the unquestioned leader of the sqaud was Dalton, who combined his tremendous speed, leadership and high basketball IQ into an explosive little point guard package.
“My speed is a big part of my game,” Dalton said. “A lot of other players are tall and aren’t able to move as fast as me, so I just use that to my advantage and blow by people.”
As a sophomore, Dalton averaged 11.4 points, 5.3 assists and 2.6 steals a game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and 73 percent from the free throw line. The shifty southpaw is a blur in the open court, but he is able to channel his speed and quickness into the team concept without getting out of control. He can go coast to coast at a moment’s notice, stop on the dime for a nice floater and hit an open teammate for an easy shot.
“My strengths as a player are my ball handling skills and vision on the court,” he said. “I know where my teammates are on the court. I bring energy to the court and try to change the tempo of the game.”
Dalton is currently playing for the Ramey-Jets United 16U team that is currently playing in the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet Series.