Daniels' Drive Gives BC The Ability To Create Offense

It all seems so simple now. With the Boston College men's basketball team struggling to finish close games because of offensive struggles, something was clearly missing. It wasn't experience, it wasn't defense, and it wasn't the crowd. It was a point guard. Last night against No. 15 Florida State, freshman Jordan Daniels cemented himself as the point guard this team has needed, and it was a joy to watch.

From the opening tip, Daniels orchestrated the offense beautifully. The calm and quiet point guard erupted for 21 points, while dropping five dimes and only coughing up one turnover. More importantly, he consistently put his teammates in positions to succeed offensively, especially down the stretch, which can't be reflected in a box score.

"Jordan had so much to do with that, I thought," head coach Steve Donahue said of BC's ability to score late in the game. "You're not getting much off your offense against Florida State. Jordan's ability to just drive it and find somebody, I thought that was key. We didn't have to worry about how we were going to get the ball from A to B because Jordan was able to create something off the dribble. I thought that was the key to the whole game, to be honest with you. I thought if we couldn't get someone to go by them north and south, we were going to have a hard time. I thought Jordan did a great job, and then everybody kind of played off of that. We were able to drive and make good decisions about when to attack and when not to."

Daniels showed flashes of this kind of play earlier in the season. Against Bryant and Sacred Heart, Daniels led the Eagle offense just like he did last night, but when conference play started, his production began to slide as his trademark pick-and-roll game was taken away by bigger and more experienced players.

"When we recruited him, I thought he was terrific at it," Donahue said of Daniels' pick-and-roll game. "I think he got overwhelmed early on with the size and the athleticism. I think he's now starting to figure out how much he can get away with and how much he can't. But his size actually plays an advantage against a team like [Florida State]. Tonight we kept telling him, ‘You've got to keep doing it. You've got to attack.'"

Every BC player looks a little better on the court when Daniels is controlling the offense. Junior guard Matt Humphrey gets more space to create his own shot. Lonnie Jackson gets better three-point looks or can attack defenders closing out too hard. Dennis Clifford rolls to the rim hard after setting a screen, knowing Daniels is looking to feed him. Ryan Anderson gets a clear lane to drive and attack because of the spacing Daniels creates.

Daniels' best play of the night didn't end with points, but it was still stunning. After sparking a BC run that put the Eagles up 48-45, Daniels stole the ball from the Seminoles and drove down the court before bouncing a pass through his legs to a trailing Jackson, who caught the pass in perfect stride for a three that just barely went in and out. It takes an incredible basketball IQ, as well as great team chemistry, to make a play like that.

Rather than get frustrated that Jackson didn't convert the play, Daniels responded by draining a three of his own on the next play, and then setting up Anderson to go to the line the next time down the court. Daniels' biggest strength as a point guard is his composure. After great plays, Daniels remains calm, and after turnovers, he hustles back on defense unphased, ready to make a stop.

The only time Daniels snapped out of his calm demeanor was with a small amount of time left on the clock and the victory sealed. It's likely the first of many big wins for the young point guard, and the leader for the BC offense going forward.