Bishop Daniels ready to reclaim his reputation
Words. Jason Jordan
Bishop Daniels understands if you don’t remember him.
He gets that all of the hype he’d built while playing alongside John Wall at Word of God Academy (N.C.) during the high school season last year fizzled after a dismal AAU season.
“It’s my own fault,” says Daniels, a 6-2 junior combo guard. “I wasn’t in the best situation with my AAU team. I didn’t have the best showing.”
Still, after capping off the summer with a strong showing at the CP3 Elite Guard Camp in August and a dominating performance at the Elite 80 Showcase early this month, Daniels says his confidence and game is at an all-time high.
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HighSchoolHoop: We’ll be honest and say that we expected to hear a lot more from you on the AAU circuit this summer.
Bishop Daniels: Yeah, I played with D-One Sports this summer, but that’s up in the air for next year.
HSH: Why is that?
BD: I’ve just got to think about what’s best for me. I didn’t do bad this summer, but I definitely didn’t play to my potential. It was a little bit of everything. My role on the team wasn’t what I was used to. I had to adapt more for other people and I’m not used to that.
HSH: So you weren’t happy with your performance this AAU season?
BD: No, not at all. I haven’t played with the confidence that I usually play with.
HSH: You were plenty confident catching lobs from John Wall last year when we saw you. What knocked your swagger down?
BD: It’s a lot of things. I think one of the main things is I had to get used to playing without the ball. I’m not used to that. I don’t mean getting the ball so I could shoot every time, I mean just spreading the ball around to make plays. I was getting a little frustrated and I wasn’t playing my best. I felt like I was losing the name that I had built up during the high school season and that got to me a little bit. Sometimes I’d question how good I was.
HSH: And how’s the confidence now?
BD: It’s really high again. I think in the last few weeks I’ve had time to think about everything and work on my game individually. My confidence is higher now than it’s ever been.
HSH: Obviously, we know all about your athleticism, but what would you say is the strongest part of your game?
BD: I’d agree that it’s my athleticism and getting to the basket. I’d say the part of my game that I need to work on is my decision making ability and my ball handling.
HSH: How’s the jump shot looking?
BD: Oh, it’s back! Yeah, it had fallen off a little bit, but I’ve got it back.
HSH: Let’s talk recruitment. What schools are you considering?
BD: N.C. State, Wake Forest, Memphis, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Miami, Baylor and I’ve talked to Kentucky once.
HSH: Have they all offered?
BD: Miami, Virginia Tech, N.C. State and Wake Forest have all offered.
HSH: What did you average last year for Word of God?
BD: About 10 points.
HSH: That’s pretty good on a team with C.J. Leslie and John Wall.
BD: Yeah it’s pretty good, but I feel like I can do better.
HSH: Well, I’d imagine your role will expand this year with John at Kentucky.
BD: Yeah, it’s gonna be me switching from combo guard to point guard. I need to pick up those skills to get ready for college.
HSH: Are you going to run the point exclusively this year?
BD: I don’t know if it will be exclusive, but I’ll be running it at some point this season. More than I was last year, but I’m ready to do whatever I’m needed to do. I’ve known since I was little that I’d have to end up playing that position so it’s a good time to start transitioning over.
HSH: We’ve seen you do some sick things with your hops, so don’t disappoint us like John and C.J. did by not knowing the answer to this question: What is your vertical leap?
BD: It’s about a 44 (inch).
HSH: Wow!
BD: (Laughs) I had it measured so that’s how I know.
HSH: That’s higher than John, right?
BD: Yeah. He’s 6-4 and I’m 6-2 so it might seem like his is higher.
HSH: That makes sense. Speaking of John’s hops, did you see him dunk on Jerry Stackhouse in the summer league game?
BD: Woooo, did I! Yeah he got him pretty bad. It was nasty. It was like LeBron (James) getting dunked on earlier this summer, but it was more body on this one. It was more the fact that he dunked on Stackhouse that made it even bigger.
HSH: Is this the breakout year for you?
BD: I think so. I’ve been working hard. I workout twice a day. I get up at 5 a.m. and then workout again at night, so I’ve definitely put the work in. I’m looking to have a big year and bring home a state title and I want more schools to get involved. I feel like I can get back to where I was and even go higher.
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Bishop Daniels Scouting Report
Combines jaw-dropping athleticism and a tight handle with a steady jump shot and blurry quickness. Daniels has all the tools to crack the top 25 in the 2011 class. If he can add the killer instinct to his repertoire, Daniels could ascend even higher in the rankings. He’s that good.
Got a burning question for Jason? Email him: JasonJ@DimeMag.com
This interview says a lot. Good luck, son. And remember, there’s no “I” in ‘team’.
Bishop… You need to come to NC State! Stay close to your parents and be a MONSTER! We want you!
I’ve known Bishop since he was 12… he has never been a Pack fan. I know his dad… Poncho… keep him away from the Pack. lol
[...] Florida. EH: Bishop’s ability is out of the ceiling. He just has to increase his basketball IQ, and that’s something that we’re working on. I wanna send these kids off to college with a basketball IQ that is higher than the other kids who [...]