The 2020-21 Villanova roster makeup is an interesting one. There are plenty of known qualities (Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Justin Moore) that largely account for the high expectations for the upcoming season. But there are also a handful of wild cards, a group that could ultimately determine just how far the ‘Cats go this season. Today we’ll look at a member of that latter group, Tulane transfer Caleb Daniels.
The 6’4” guard earned 18.3 minutes per game as a freshman at Tulane, averaging 6.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He shot 42.9% from the field and an impressive 39.6% from beyond the arc.
As a sophomore, Daniels started all 30 games for the Green Waves, playing 33.9 minutes per game and averaging 16.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. His 3-point percentage took a dip as he nearly tripled his attempts from 1.8 to 4.5 per game, but he still connected on a respectable 34.6% of his long-range attempts. He improved his 2-point efficiency from 44.8% to 49.8%, hitting 44.5% of his shots overall.
The advanced numbers highlight particular improvement in his passing and decision-making. His assist percentage jumped from 15.1% as a freshman to 23.1% as a sophomore. More impressively, despite his increased role (his usage jumped from 18.9% to 26.7%) Daniels managed to reduce his turnover percentage from 17% to 15.5%. He also saw slight increases in his rebounding and steal percentages.
Watching film of Daniels, there is a lot to like. He can knock down contested shots out to the 3-point arc and can finish with either hand at the rim. He can absorb contact at the basket and score and can also play through contact on the perimeter, managing to find teammates through bumps and slaps. That should come in handy playing in the Big East. Daniels has solid vision, makes good reads, is a crafty passer when he needs to be and shows a strong understanding of the scheme. Having a year to sit and watch as well as practice should allow those traits to show through when he gets on the court. He has also proven to be a strong competitor and displayed good body language, not hanging his head after a mistake. One play stood out on film in that regard: Daniels had the ball in the corner on the defensive end of the court and made a bad pass that was intercepted near the free-throw line. Instead of hanging his head, he sprinted along the baseline to catch the opponent at the basket and blocked the shot, preventing the mistake from leading to a basket. In addition, his teammates and coaches at Villanova have lauded his focus, mentality and work ethic. Players with those attributes tend to have productive careers at Villanova.
It’s always difficult to project the impact a transfer will make, especially when the move is up a level. Still, it’s easy to see Daniels, with his skill set and mentality, thriving in the Villanova system. He will be a threat to knock down shots from deep, will be able to facilitate the patented Villanova ball movement and will get after it on every possession at both ends of the floor. It’s also likely that he will have a strong impact on the program from a leadership perspective, something that will be particularly valuable next season when he is a senior and the ‘Cats bring in a large freshman class.
Daniels will certainly be an interesting point of attention early in the season as we try to gauge how his transition is going and how much of an impact he will have and how soon. What is clear is that there is a lot to like about Daniels, both as a player and as a young man, and it will be exciting to see what he can contribute to the program during his time here.
