Skip to main content
south-carolina logo

Daniel Sanford talks senior season, first impressions of Lamont Paris

On3 imageby:Collyn Taylor•05/10/22•

collyntaylor

On3 image
Daniel Hankins-Sanford (Photo by Katie Dugan)

Daniel Hankins-Sanford had a decision to make a few weeks ago. With a coaching change going on, the South Carolina signee could opt to go elsewhere but ultimately never wavered on his commitment.

The Gamecocks’ incoming freshman knew he wanted to be in Columbia and also couldn’t pass up what he thought was his best opportunity.

“I was just in the gap trying to figure out what the next move was. I knew I wanted to be in Columbia, so I wasn’t really trying to go anywhere else,” Sanford told GamecockCentral. “But if another situation opened up, I was going to the best situation. I felt like this was the best situation.”

The opportunity to play at South Carolina certainly was appealing, but playing close to home and a mother he calls his “best friend” helped push things over the edge to stick with his commitment.

“She was a big part of my decision,” he said. “She can get there and see me play.”

Sanford and his mom are incredibly close and now he’ll be able to play roughly 90 minutes away from his home.

He’s also the youngest of nine children, which has helped shape the kind of player he turns into.

“If you get in trouble you got eight other people coming at you hot. But if you do well it goes the opposite way,” he said. “Everybody went down their own path. Every sibling did something I can learn from and take an experience from.”

And now Sanford is taking that familiar background and the person it’s turned him into to South Carolina.

He’ll enroll sometime over the summer and is ready to help the team as much as he can early.

“Do whatever the team needs me to do. I feel like with the coaching change and people transferring I can really show what I can do,” he said. “I feel like I can really help the team.”

Sanford is coming off a senior season where he averaged 16.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game at JL Chambers High School.

The former football player who is now full-time basketball mirrors his game a lot after the aggression on the gridiron. He also jokes about his game being aggressive and him wanting to “go get me a bucket.”

And it’s something he did a lot of this season. He also shot 47 percent from the field and helped his team beat archrival, North Mecklenburg, for the first time in over a decade.

“It was a great experience. It was a great learning point in my life,” Sanford said. “I learned how to be a man, took a lot from the game and had fun with it. We fell short, but it was pretty good. I feel like I left a mark on the city.”

Now he’s ready for his next adventure, which will begin in a few weeks in Columbia.

He’s been working since the season ended to help refine his game before arriving and trying to chisel out a role in his first year with the Gamecocks.

“I feel like my size, I’m like 240 right now. I feel like I move best right there. My mid-range, I’ve been working on that a bunch then my corner three and top of the key three,” he said. “I’m just getting more comfortable handling the ball. I try to touch the ball twice a day. I’m just trying to stay confident.”

Sanford also came down and met with Paris recently to get a sense of what his future head coach was like.

“The first visit was me and Lamont Paris,” he said. “We talked about who he was as a person, what he looks for in a player, how he runs his offense. It wasn’t too deep but a quick glimpse.”

He’s excited about the new environment while still being close to home. He’s still a few weeks away from starting with South Carolina with a few things he’s trying to clean up before arriving.

“My IQ, defense. I’m just ready to learn whatever coach Lamont and his staff wants to teach me,” he said. “Definitely my IQ, ball-handling, defense, my shot. Just stay consistent.”

South Carolina Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC • Polls

———-

You may also like