Basketball: Could Daniels be destined to make Taft his new home?

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Must admit, I was a bit puzzled after learning DeAndre Daniels was in the midst of transferring from Renaissance Academy to Taft. I’d like to think I’m pretty well connected when it comes to these two programs, having known their coaches for a while now, yet had no idea the 6-foot-8 junior-to-be was looking for a change of scenery.

So I decided to get to the bottom of things. Sure enough, Daniels was in uniform for the Toreadors on Tuesday night, and he played well, scoring 21 points and adding eight rebounds in three quarters of play to guide Taft to a 77-51 victory over Sylmar in the championship game of the War on the Floor Tournament in the Valley.

‘I haven’t played that many games with my new teammates, but I’m starting to feel more comfortable,’’ Daniels said. ‘I’m just trying to fit in, trying to learn my role. I know Taft has a great tradition of winning and that’s something I want to be part of. My goal is come in and contribute. It’s that simple.’’

Division I scouts seem to think he can contribute at the next level and have expressed interest in him as a result. Daniels has been contacted by Arizona, Georgetown and Memphis. And according to his father, LeRon, schools such as Texas, Wake Forest, UCLA and USC are in constant contact with the family. Stay tuned...

-- Sean Ceglinsky