DeAndre Daniels did a lot of pacing Thursday. The former UConn forward was watching the NBA Draft with his family in Manchester. He watched the entire first round, saw teammate Shabazz Napier selected by Charlotte and then traded to Miami, but had to leave the room before the second round began.
Fortunately, he has good timing. He returned to hear his name called on ESPN as the No. 37 pick overall, early in the second round. Daniels is headed to Toronto to play for the Raptors.
“This is a dream came true,” Daniels said. “This is what I always wanted to do since I was a little kid. I’m just excited. When I heard my name called I just started crying and hugging my family. I’m so happy.”
Toronto was one of 14 teams Daniels worked out for. He said it was a tough process, with back-to-back workouts and a lot of flying miles.
“I loved it out there,” Daniels said of Toronto. “It’s a great city and I can’t wait to get out there.”
When the drama of the night was over, Napier and Daniels talked by phone.
“He was telling me he was happy for me, and I said I was happy for him,” Daniels said. “It’s not the end. We’re both going to have a chip on our shoulder and go out and prove people wrong.”
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Napier and Daniels are the 39th and 40th UConn players picked overall in the modern-day (post-1964) NBA draft, the 27th since Jim Calhoun became head coach in 1986-87, and the first since Kevin Ollie took over as head coach in 2012-13. All of UConn’s 19 first-rounders have come since 1990, when Tate George was selected with the 22nd pick. Napier is the first UConn senior to be drafted in the first round since Hilton Armstrong in 2006. |
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