Shawn Daniels

Bio

Shawn Daniels (born May 14, 1979) is a 6’6” forward from Bakersfield, CA. He was inducted into the Utah State Hall of Fame in 2025. He most recently played with London Lightning of the Canadian NBL.

Utah State Career

One of the best post players in school history, Shawn Daniels started all 68 games he played in during his two-year Utah State career (2000-01) as he helped the Aggies to a pair of Big West Tournament Championships, two NCAA Tournament appearances and an overall record of 56-12, including back-to-back 28-win seasons, the third-most in school history.

During his senior season, Daniels helped Utah State record its first NCAA Tournament win in 31 years when it defeated fifth-seeded Ohio State (77-68 OT) in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament.

Daniels led the Aggies in scoring and rebounding in both of his seasons, averaging 12.0 points and 7.9 rebounds as a junior and 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds as a senior. He scored in double figures 48 times and had two 20-point games during his career, including a career-high 28 points as a senior, while adding 14 double-figure rebounding games, including a career-high 17.

For his career, Daniels averaged 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds, totaling 809 points and 497 rebounds. He ranks fifth all-time in school history with 117 career blocks, including a career-high and then-school-record seven blocks against Pacific as a senior. Daniels, who ranks second all-time in school history with his 1.8 blocks per game average, also holds two of the top four single season block records in school history with 59 during his senior season and 58 during his junior campaign. Overall, he ranks sixth in single season blocks per game, averaging 1.7 as both a junior and senior.

Daniels also led Utah State in field goal percentage both seasons, shooting 58.1 percent (179-of-308) as a junior and 57.6 percent (167-of-290) as a senior, and finished his career shooting 57.9 percent (346-of-598) from the floor, which ranks ninth all-time in school history.

2000-01 SEASON (SR): Became only the fifth player in Utah State program history to be named an all-league first-team player two times after leading the Aggies to a 28-6 season, a Big West Conference title and a victory over Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament… For the second straight season, he led the Aggies in scoring (11.8), rebounding (6.8) and blocked shots with 59… Those 59 blocked shots set a new single-season record, and he moved into the number three all-time spot at Utah State with 117 career blocks… Was named the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year as he tallied 30 steals to go along with his 59 blocks… Was named to the NABC District 14 Second Team and to the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All-America team, which consisted of the top-10 players in the country from mid-major universities… Earned conference player of the week honors after guiding the Aggies to wins over UC Irvine (2/8) and Cal State Fullerton (2/10), averaging 17.0 points and 7.0 rebounds during the week… Scored in double-figures in 22-of-34 games, while breaking the 20-point barrier twice… Also had five double-figure rebounding games and four double-doubles on the season… Scored a career-high 28 points against CU-Colorado Springs (11/25) as he went 14-of-19 from the field while also gathering seven rebounds… Brought in a season-high 13 rebounds at Idaho State (11/29), then repeated with another 13-rebound outing later in the season at Long Beach State (2/17)… Led the team in scoring 10 times, while leading the team’s rebounding efforts 19 times… His 57.6 shooting percentage from the field ranks 13^thall-time in Utah State program history.

1999-00 SEASON (JR): Was a first-team all-Big West selection… Named the Big West Conference “Newcomer of the Year” by Street & Smith’s Basketball Magazine… Tied his season high with 17 points versus Connecticut in the first round of the NCAA tournament… Named co-MVP of the Big West Tournament with teammate Troy Rolle… In the three-game Big West Tournament he averaged 9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, shot 57.1 percent from the field and had nine blocks… Had just one rebound (a season-low) in the first round game with Pacific, but followed that with 10 rebounds against Nevada and nine against New Mexico State in last two games… Named the Big West Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 24 after leading USU to its first conference road sweep in two years… He had 14 points and 10 rebounds versus UC Santa Barbara before notching 16 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and four steals versus Cal Poly… On the season he averaged 12.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 58 blocks and 47 steals in 34 games… Also shot 58.1 percent from the field… Lead the team in every category except steals, where he was second… Scored in double figures in 26-of-34 games and had seven double-doubles… Had 10 or more rebounds in nine different games… Had the most double-doubles and 10 rebound games in the league… Finished second in the league in field goal percentage (.581), tied for first in rebounds (7.9), and second in blocks (58)… That 58.1 FG percentage was 19^thbest in the country… His 58 blocks tied for first on the USU single-season blocks list with Gilbert Pete, and his 267 rebounds was the 20^thmost… Also named the MVP of the Gossner Foods Classic after scoring 16 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking four shots in the championship game versus San Diego.. Recorded his first career double-double versus Northern Arizona with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Professional Career

3× CBA Champion (2002, 2008, 2009)
CBA Finals MVP (2009)

Career Timeline

2001: Dakota Wizards
2002: Dodge City Legend
2002–2003: Dakota Wizards
2003: Los Mochis Pioneros
2003: Tijuana Diablos
2003–2004: Las Vegas Rattlers
2004–2005: Dakota Wizards
2005: Dodge City Legend
2005–2006: Air21 Express
2006: Sioux Falls Skyforce
2006–2007: Bakersfield Jam
2008–2009: Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry
2009: Burger King Whoppers
2009–2010: Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters
2011–2012: London Lightning