STARKVILLE — It took some adjusting for Travis Daniels.
The Mississippi State forward arrived on the MSU campus in December of 2013 after attending Shelton State Community College. Then-coach Rick Ray could have played him for the remainder of the 2013-14 season, but he didn’t think that was fair. So Daniels sat out and practiced with the team for the remainder of that season and began playing during the 2014-15 season. It wasn’t all that easy for Daniels.
“Consistency,” Daniels said of what he learned in his first year. “A lot of people get recognition on how consistent they play and how hard the play.”
Daniels wasn’t all that consistent last season and averaged just 6.1 points. But he attacked the offseason with a new attitude and knew he needed to improve his game and be a contributor game in and game out to help his team win. He has done that so far this season. Daniels and the Bulldogs (4-5) play Tulane (6-5) 3 p.m. (SEC Network) Saturday inside Humphrey Coliseum.
Daniels missed Wednesday’s game against Florida State with a concussion, and his status for Tulane is unclear.
The Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native is averaging 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in eight games this season. He scored a season-high 18 points against Texas Southern in a win Dec. 2.
“One of the biggest things was being consistent, putting the ball in the hole, staying aggressive, and just being active on the court,” Daniels said.
Last season, Daniels scored a career-high 21 points against St. Louis in a Nov. 28 game, and big things were expected from him, but he he has some ebbs and flows.
He played in 32 games last year and drew 26 starts for Ray. He shot 39.8 percent (70 of 176) from the field and 28.9 percent (24 of 83) from 3-point range last season. He played both guard and forward last year as the Bulldogs had a thin roster.
Ray was let go after last season and Ben Howland was hired to replace him. The Bulldogs had several new faces coming in, especially at guard, so Howland decided to move Daniels over to the four position (forward) permanently. Howland thinks that is the biggest reason he is fifth on the team in scoring.
“He is doing really good at shooting the three ball when he is open and we would like to see him get more opportunities because of that high percentage,” Howland said. “He is working really hard defensively which is good for us.”
He has 45 rebounds this season, with 25 coming of the offensive end.
The four is nothing new to Daniels and he said he feels comfortable with the position.
“I played the four in junior college,” Daniels said. “I feel like I’m a matchup problem. I just had to add a little more weight to myself to defend the four. Offensively, I was good with playing the four.”
Daniels’ teammates noticed his struggles last season. Junior point guard I.J. Ready said Daniels “was a little off” last season and said it took him time to get adjusted to Southeastern Conference and Division I basketball.
But Ready and his teammates have seen an aggressive Daniels this season.
“Travis has brought a lot to the table, versatility wise, playing the three to the four this year, being more physical, being bigger, being able to rebound,” Ready said. “His shot is looking a lot better too. He’s knocking down shots. He’s just been more aggressive and looking for his shot this year.”
Daniels did have a good mentor. Roquez Johnson played the four for the most part last season, as Gavin Ware was the center. Johnson played a lot in his final three seasons and averaged 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game as a senior last season. He scored in double digits 12 times and totaled four 20-plus games in his final season.
Daniels learned from him during that year and this offseason. Senior guard Craig Sword told Daniels to watch film on Johnson to learn how to be tough, just like Johnson was.
So Daniels did and he has tried to model some of his game around his former teammate.
“I look back on last year how Roquez was playing at the four and how hard he was playing,” Daniels said. “I just took the initiative in the offseason just to come with it every game.”
n, In other basketball news, senior center Gavin Ware was diagnosed with a lateral bone bruise in his left knee and is doubtful for Saturday’s game.
He was helped off the court against Florida State in the second half and did not return.
The former Starkville High School standout leads the Bulldogs with 18.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season.
n, Tulane has won four of the last six, but have lost two of the last three. The two losses have come to Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
The Green Wave are led senior guard Dabney Louis’ 14.5 points per game. Junior guard Malik Morgan is averaging 10.8 points per game this season.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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