2013 seniors: Troy Daniels, the human 9-0 run

For years Coach Smart has said Troy Daniels is the best shooter he’s ever coached, but it took Daniels some time to transfer the brilliance he displayed in practice into the game.

April 11, 2013; 9:14 AM • by Aaron Williams

Three VCU basketball careers ended in Auburn Hills, MI on March 23rd. Troy Daniels, David Hinton, and Darius Theus didn’t rock the recruiting world when they came to VCU, but the three of them played during the most successful four-year span in VCU history. They leave behind incredible legacies including the VCU record for wins at 111, a Final Four, a 7-3 record in three NCAA appearances, and a CBI title.

For years Coach Smart has said that Troy Daniels is the best shooter he’s ever coached, but it took Daniels some time to transfer the brilliance he displayed in practice into the game. On January 29th, 2011, Troy Daniels earned his first career start as Jamie Skeen and Brandon Rozzell watched from the sidelines with injuries.

Thirty seconds into the game Troy Daniels drained a 3-pointer. Sixty seconds later he was dribbling across mid-court and he heard a pop–his foot was broken. Less than two months and a surgical pin later, he drained a 3-pointer against Purdue as VCU made their way to the Sweet 16. But all of that happened before Troy Daniels was TROY DANIELS.

In his final two seasons, “Buzz” would hit 218(!) 3-pointers while establishing himself as a leader on the court and as a fan favorite. Troy Daniels says he thinks every shot is going in, and after four seasons of watching him hit shots from NBA+++ range, there isn’t a VCU fan that doesn’t share that same confidence.

VCU has some shooters, and Coach Smart will continue to recruit some of the best in the country, but it’s tough to imagine another Ram who can score a dozen points in the blink of an eye. Another shooter who can spark fear in the hearts of others like Xavier coach Chris Mack who called him a human 9-0 run. Another shooter who can bring 7,693 fans to their feet in a heartbeat and make the “Stu” roar quite like Troy Daniels.

Highlight: Troy Daniel’s career night against ETSU is a classic jaw dropping moment in the VCU basketball canon. Fathers will tell their sons about the game years from now.

Bonus: Troy Daniels won the Hampton Hotels 3-point shootout this past Friday.

The Record Book

• Single season VCU record for 3-pointers at 124.
• Single game record for 3-pointers at 11.
• 2nd all time at VCU with 251 3-pointers.
• 3rd on the A-10 single season 3-pointers list with 124.

Game Statistics

Year	GP-GS	Min.	PPG	ORPG	RPG	DRPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FPG	A/TO
2012-13	36-36	26.3	12.2	0.6	2.5	3.1	0.6	0.9	0.1	0.9	2.1	0.7-1
2011-12	36-20	24.4	10.0	0.89	2.42	3.31	0.5	1.2	0.1	1.0	1.64	0.47-1
2010-11	27-1	4.7	2.0	0.19	0.59	0.78	0.04	0.19	0.0	0.15	0.63	0.25-1
2009-10	26-0	6.0	2.2	0.12	0.5	0.62	0.23	0.08	0.08	0.08	0.58	3-1

Shooting Statistics

Year	FG-FGA	FG%	2FG-FGA	2FG%	3FG-FGA	3FG%	FTM-FTA	FT%	PPS	eFG%	TS%
2012-13	149-357	.417	25-49	.510	124-308	.403	19-27	.704	1.24	.591	.596
2011-12	112-299	.375	18-52	.346	94-247	.381	43-51	.843	1.21	.532	.558
2010-11	18-59	.305	0-5	.0	18-54	.333	1-3	.333	0.93	.458	.456
2009-10	18-49	.367	3-8	.375	15-41	.366	43-51	.833	1.14	.520	.540

To stay up to date on all things VCU Basketball related, follow @rvaRAMnews on Twitter or Facebook and sign up for our email newsletter.

April 11, 2013 9:14 AM 0