FORT MYERS, FLA.- A pair of FSW standouts signed on the dotted line on Wednesday as guard Maddox Daniels inked with the University of Colorado and big man DeShawn Thomas made his commitment to Winthrop University official.
Daniels averaged just under 14 points per game this season for the Bucs, shooting a team best 43% from downtown on 88 three point makes. He was a 1st Team All-Suncoast Conference selection for the conference champion Bucs, starting all 33 games for FSW who finished 5th at the NJCAA National Tournament this season. Steady as an ox, Daniels scored in double figures 27 times for the Bucs as a sophomore, topping the 20 point mark five times, including a career high 29 point effort against Hillsborough in late January in which he went 8 for 11 from distance. His 88 three pointers made this season and 140 in his career are both FSW records.
Daniels signs with a young Colorado squad which had just one senior on the roster in 2018-19. Despite their youth, the Buffs still put together a 23-13 campaign which included 10 wins in PAC 12 play, culminating in a quarterfinal appearance in the NIT Tournament.
"The PAC 12 is somewhere that I have always had my eyes on to play in" Daniels said. "I felt very comfortable with the coaches and staff there and am excited to get there and start competing" he added.
Thomas also played in all 33 games for FSW during their 30-3 season in 2018-19, putting up 6.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He was a 2nd Team All-Suncoast Conference pick, scoring in double figures 11 times this season including a career high 17 point performance on 8 of 12 shooting against Miami Dade early in the season. He shot 66% from the field on the year, which ranked second in the state behind only teammate Terence Lewis. His 56 blocked shots this season were a single season school record and his 94 career blocks shattered the old mark by nearly 40 blocks.
Thomas will join a Winthrop squad that has won 18 or more games in six straight seasons. The Eagles finished this season 18-12 including a 10-6 mark in Big South play. With Thomas joining the Eagles, it will mark the third straight season that Winthrop has had a Buccaneer on their roster after Nych Smith donned the Garnet and Gold the past two seasons in Rock Hill.
"I was just looking for a winning program where I had a chance to play right away" Thomas said of his choice. "Winthrop was a perfect fit for both of those things."
With Daniels and Thomas signing, the Bucs now have three NCAA Division I signees off of this year's team. Their four other sophomores are expected to do the same later in the signing period.