What caught my eye shortly after tip-off on Friday night was the improved explosiveness that Daniels has around the basket. He always had the power and with a clear takeoff path, could get his forearms above the rim, but there was clear twitch in getting off the ground that I hadn’t noticed since seeing him live before he left for Montverde last fall. Friday night’s win over Team Final ended up being his best performance of the weekend as he finished with 18 points and four rebounds. He finished averaging 9.7PPG, 2.3RPG and 1.3BPG. While the noticeable improvement in his movement and functional athleticism is promising, I’d like to see him impose his will on the glass more and hover around at least five rebounds per game.

Daniels brought the pain. With no consideration for who was guarding the paint or guarding him, Daniels finished at/above the rim with bad intentions. If he got a touch around the basket, he was guaranteed to go up with power through contact, be it in the dunker spot or at the elbow. His explosiveness off of two feet led to a couple of monster jams in general halfcourt. But his loud play was a transition dunk that shook them. Daniels was perfect from the free throw line too. 18p 4r 1b

9p 10r 2b vs Prolific

-Daniels raced out in transition to collect an outlet pass over his shoulder and throw down a 2-handed dunk just before the buzzer to complete a monster comeback win for MVA over Prolific as the first step in a run to the Chipotle Nationals championship game. Daniels showed his value over the course of the week as a physical rebounding engine that made his presence known with emphatic putback dunks and tip-outs that created extra possessions for the Eagles. Liked his skill development over the course of the year as a forward that grew more comfortable turning down the handoff on a DHO to get downhill to finish at the rim. He grew to look much more comfortable in space at the defensive end of the floor within MVA’s defensive schemes and should parlay a strong junior year into a productive offseason on the circuit.

Winning the game with a breakaway dunk at the buzzer to stun Prolific Prep, Daniels made a big impact throughout the game to help Montverde move on to the semis. Daniels finished one point short of a double-double but made his biggest impact as a rim protector. Daniels blocked a pair of shots and altered numerous others. Despite being undersized, Daniels is a quick leaper which allows him to contest layups and dunks whenever he’s around the basket.

The junior big man was a consistent interior presence for Montverde, averaging nearly a double-double across the team’s three wins. He runs the floor well and shows good mobility with better-than-average athleticism for his size, allowing him to impact the game beyond just the paint. Offensively, he has soft hands and excellent touch around the rim, finishing efficiently through contact and on second-chance opportunities. On the defensive end, he alters shots with his length and timing and continues to make strides as a reliable rim protector. His rebounding has become a major strength, as he consistently pursues the ball and secures boards at both ends of the floor. With his physical tools, motor, and growing production, he is a frontcourt prospect to monitor closely in the junior class.

Great Hands. Elite Finisher at the rim. Can see plays develop quickly and react accordingly.

Derek is an elite finisher around the rim who thrives as a lob target in the offense. He has great hands, strong timing, and the explosiveness to go up and dunk everything in his area. Whether in transition or the half court, he consistently finishes above the rim and converts high-percentage looks into points. His ability to punish defenses with powerful dunks adds a vertical dimension that makes the offense difficult to defend.

Big with the best hands award! As a guard, you can throw it to Beau up high, down low, or at his chest. He’s catching it and throwing it down off two feet from wherever he’s standing at. If he’s at the top of the key, He’s throwing it down from there too. If there’s a 50/50 ball in the viscinity, you can forget it, Beau’s got it! his hands come with velcro and sticky tape.

Montverde pulled off what was considered the upset of the event as they defeated No. 1 Prolific Prep on Sunday afternoon. Daniels faced a hardworking frontline of Davion Adkins and MJ Madison, but as he typically does, Daniels matched any physicality thrown his way. Offensively he set punishing screens and had rolls to the rim with intent. His hands continue to be something he can hang his hat on when hovering around the dunker’s spot or in the paint as guards drive baseline. Daniels did a nice job getting to the free-throw line in this matchup and converting to a tune of 6-of-8 while sporting a final stat line of 10 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in 26 minutes.

Similar to Berrouet, Daniels is a little bit of an undersized big in terms of height but Daniels makes up for it with a relentless motor and explosive athleticism. Daniels consistently outran other bigs down the court and would get wide open dunks in transition when there would be nobody but a small guard meeting him at the rim. That type of effort can help you get easy buckets against even the best players in the country. I’ll be curious to see how Daniels looks on the Nike scholastic league this winter.