On Wednesday Daniel West signed his letter of intent to play basketball at Tennessee next season. West, a point guard from Saginaw, MI, will join early signees Philip Jurick and Renaldo Woolridge in the Vols 2009 class. Scotty Hopson is expected to complete the class when he signs next week.
Here are a few notes on West:
- Likes the Vols up tempo style of play and hardcore defense.
- Took an official visit to watch Tennessee play Kentucky at Thompson Boling Arena this past season.
- His team is 52-2 the last two years and just won their second straight state championship. West played a crucial role in that game, finishing with 21 points and 8 assists.
- Averaged 14 points and 11 assists on the season.
- Tennessee is in desperate need of a true point guard and West is just that. He considers himself a ‘floor general’ and has played the point guard position his entire life. He can shoot the three-pointer and yes, he can hit free throws.
- Many wonder what type of talent West really is considering he earned only a three-star rating from Rivals.com. The doubters should remember that Daniel was overlooked early in the process. He skipped the AAU circuit last summer to focus on grades and therefore was a bit under the radar. However, that wasn’t the case as late. After committing to Tennessee, he was contacted by teams such as St. Johns, Kentucky, Ohio State and Michigan.
- He will be in Knoxville in June to participate in the Rocky Top League.
March, 2008: West has unbelievable quickness. He can easily get into the lane and cause problems for the defense with his penetration skills. He also uses his great lateral quickness to wreak havoc on the defense end. West has very good anticipation skills, constantly getting in passing lanes for steals. His jumper is getting a lot better as well. Tennessee runs an up-tempo attack and West will fit right in because of his high comfort level in the open court. Also, West’s tenacity will fit like a glove with Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl’s in-your-face, intense coaching style. Tennessee loves to come after people and impose their will on opponents, which is the way West prefers to play.
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