Samuel McDaniel (born 9 December 1995) is an Australian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Brisbane Bullets The Brisbane Bullets are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL) based in Brisbane, Queensland. They competed from 1979 to 2008, and returned to the league in 2016. Brisbane were one of ten NBL ...

of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Southeastern Community College and Louisiana–Monroe.

Early life

Born in

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, McDaniel was raised by his mother in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, and attended Southern Vales Christian College in the suburb of

Morphett Vale Morphett Vale is a southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Onkaparinga. It is the largest suburb in the state, with a population of more than 23,000 and an area of 12.76 km2, followed by Paralowie with nearly 10,000 fewe ...

. He played

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

while growing up but switched to

after a bad experience with a junior soccer coach at age 14. McDaniel played in the Central ABL for the Southern Tigers between 2012 and 2014.

College career

Between 2014 and 2016, McDaniel played college basketball for Southeastern Community College. He averaged 13 points and 8.2 rebounds during his sophomore year. For his junior season, McDaniel transferred to Louisiana–Monroe. In 65 games over two seasons, he averaged 13.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Warhawks.

Professional career

In May 2018, McDaniel joined the Mount Gambier Pioneers of the

South East Australian Basketball League The South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) was a semi-professional basketball league in Australia comprising both a men's and women's competition. The SEABL began in 1981 and operated for 38 seasons until it was disbanded in 2018. The ...

(SEABL). In eight games, he averaged 16.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In August 2018, McDaniel joined

Melbourne United Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 ...

as a development player for the 2018–19 NBL season. He appeared in 12 games during the season. After playing for the Sandringham Sabres during the

2019 NBL1 season The 2019 NBL1 season was the inaugural season of the NBL1. The season began on 29 March and concluded on 17 August with grand final day for both the men's and women's seasons. The NBL1 in 2019 was a single league and consisted of one conference ...

, McDaniel re-joined United for the

2019–20 NBL season The 2019–20 NBL season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. The Perth Wildcats became champions. They drew an average home attendance of 12,974, the highest in the 2019–20 NBL season. Team ...

as a fully contracted player. He averaged 1.4 points in 19 games. In August 2020, McDaniel re-signed with United for the

2020–21 NBL season The 2020–21 NBL season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of nine teams contested in the 2020–21 season. The regular season was played between January and June 2021, followed by a ...

. He played a key role on the defensive end during the season and helped Melbourne win the

championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

. On 1 July 2021, McDaniel signed a three-year deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers, a franchise entering the NBL for the first time in 2021–22. Following the NBL season, he joined the Hobart Chargers of the

NBL1 South NBL1 South is a semi-professional basketball league in Victoria (state), Victoria and Tasmania, Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2019, Basketball Victoria partnered with the National Basketball League (Australia), ...

and helped them win the 2022 championship while earning grand final MVP honours. In the 2022–23 NBL season, McDaniel appeared in 14 games for the JackJumpers. Following the season, he declined the player option on his contract. He then re-joined the Chargers for the 2023 NBL1 South season, where he won the NBL1 South Defensive Player of the Year. On 31 March 2023, McDaniel signed a two-year deal with the

. Following the

2023–24 NBL season The 2023–24 NBL season was the 46th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested in the 2023–24 season. Australian broadcast rights to the season are held by ESPN in the third seas ...

, he joined the

Brisbane Capitals Brisbane Capitals is a NBL1 North club based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club fields a team in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 North. The club is a division of Brisbane Basketball Incorporated (BBI), one of the major administrative basketball o ...

of the

NBL1 North NBL1 North, formerly the Queensland Basketball League (QBL), is a semi-professional basketball league in Queensland and Northern Territory, Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. In 2020, Basketball Queensland partnered wit ...

, where he won the league's Defensive Player of the Year, earned First Team honours, and was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season. On 26 September 2024, McDaniel was ruled out of the

2024–25 NBL season The 2024–25 NBL season was the 47th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested in the 2024–25 season. The league extended its partnership with ESPN Australia. All games are availa ...

after he aggravated a shoulder injury that was originally sustained during his stint with the Capitals. His recovery was expected to take up to six months. On 19 February 2025, McDaniel re-signed with the Bullets on a two-year deal.

Personal life

McDaniel's father, Wayne McDaniel, also played in the NBL for the

Adelaide 36ers The Adelaide 36ers are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in the state's capital of Adela ...

Geelong Supercats Geelong United is a NBL1 South club based in Geelong, Geelong, Victoria. Previously known as the Geelong Supercats, the club fields teams in both the Men's and Women's NBL1 South. The club is affiliated with Geelong United Basketball and plays ...

Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union. The club was established in 1877 as the Gosforth Football Club. Around 1882 the club merged with the Northumberland Football Cl ...

and Hobart Devils. McDaniel has a daughter with his partner.

References

External links

NBL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDaniel, Samuel 1995 births Living people Australian men's basketball players Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States Brisbane Bullets players Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks men's basketball players Melbourne United players Shooting guards Small forwards Tasmania JackJumpers players Basketball players from Adelaide Sportsmen from South Australia 21st-century Australian sportsmen