By SAM LANCE
It was quite the homecoming for class of 2025 guard Camron McDaniels during the Grind Session in Louisville this past weekend. Against Florida’s DME Academy and Louisville signee Mikel Brown Jr., McDaniels dropped a game-high 34 points while his Huntington Prep squad fell short, 94-87.
McDaniels — the 6-foot-5 guard — was once a football prospect with a couple offers from programs like SIUC and Eastern Kentucky. Now, he’s officially made the switch over to focusing on basketball. “I just love basketball more than football,” McDaniels told ZAGSBLOG. “Even though the offers and interest came easier in football, I just feel like basketball is my first love. So I just stuck with it.” Since making the switch, McDaniels feels like he’s in much better shape and the results have been showing on the court. The guard currently has no offers, but said Marshall and Seton Hall have shown some interest. “Camrom is a tough physical guard that shoots it at a high level but can also make plays for himself and others,” Huntington Prep coach Arkell Bruce said. McDaniels played on the 3SSB circuit with Darryn Peterson and Phenom United this past summer. Through six games at the final session in Rock Hill (SC), McDaniels started every game and averaged 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals while playing 21.8 minutes per contest. “I think I showed coaches that I can play anything they want me to play, be a good role player,” McDaniels said of his summer. “Go get rebounds, make open shots, stuff like that. When your playing with one of the best players, you can’t always be the No. 1 option. So you have to learn how to play your role.” For Huntington Prep, McDaniels has a more expanded role. He not only puts the ball in the hole, as we saw against DME Academy, but he rebounds and often guards the opposing team’s best player. McDaniels is a big guard and says he’s a “mismatch” because of his size and the way he can handle and shoot it. “I’d probably say my best [attribute] is shooting,” McDaniels said. “And then I would probably say dunking, just not being afraid to go dunk the ball.” While McDaniels recruitment hasn’t taken off quite yet, he’s still looking for certain qualities out of schools. “Just the bond the players and the coaches have with each other,” McDaniels said. “I want a family. I don’t just want it to be a team you see and only talk to in practices. I want a group that clicks together. Just the environment.” McDaniels isn’t the only athlete in the family. His brother, Lukus McDaniels, plays defensive end for SIUC, while his other older brother is a doctor. The guard models his game after Luka Doncic. “I watch him and everyone says you need to be fast and athletic,” McDaniels said. “But he’s not either one of those and he’s still one of the best players in the league.” Louisville was McDaniels’ dream school growing up. An odd fact about him is his pregame ritual: a bag of Skittles. Follow Sam Lance on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on Facebook34p 7r pic.twitter.com/fzw5JqdUKg
— Camron McDaniels (@McdanielsCamron) January 6, 2025
