BIO: Sam McDaniel was born in Tasmania, where his father Wayne played for the Hobart Devils and later moved to Adelaide (SA), where he spent the majority of his childhood. There he began playing basketball as a junior with the Southern Tigers basketball program.

His father Wayne played 12 NBL seasons including six for Hobart (1989-1994) where he became the all-time franchise leader in games played, points scored and rebounds.

Over his NBL career McDaniel was known as a lockdown defender that was a key part of playoff runs for both Melbourne United and the Tasmania JackJumpers.

FAMILY: Sam McDaniel is the son of Wayne McDaniel who played 288 games in the NBL.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Sam McDaniel made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

During the 2017/18 season, Sam McDaniel saw limited action as a development player with the Perth Wildcats, who secured a third-place finish with a 16-12 record.

MELBOURNE UNITED
2018/19
In the 2018/19 season, Melbourne United set out to defend their championship. Retaining key players, they re-signed captain Chris Goulding (two-year deal), David Barlow (one-year deal), Josh Boone (one-year deal), and Casper Ware (one-year deal), with Boone and Ware in particular facing significant overseas interest. To further strengthen the squad, United added DJ Kennedy (from Turkey), Mitch McCarron (from Cairns), and Alex Pledger (from New Zealand). McDaniel joined United again as a development player, adding depth to the roster.

McDaniel averaged 0.1 points and 0.4 rebounds across 12 games that season, recording his best performance against Perth on March 15, 2019, with 2 points and 1 rebound. He scored his first NBL field goal during Game 3 of the 2019 Grand Final series, played in front of 13,412 fans in Perth.

United had a strong season, with Dean Vickerman winning the NBL Coach of the Year award. They defeated the Sydney Kings in the semifinals (2-0) but ultimately fell short of the championship, losing to Perth in four games.

2019/20
In the 2019/20 season, McDaniel averaged 1.3 points and 0.6 rebounds, contributing to Melbourne’s fourth-place finish with a 15-13 record.

2020/21
McDaniel’s role expanded in the 2020/21 season, where he averaged 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1 assist across 38 games. Initially at the bottom of the rotation, his defensive impact earned him a starting role, frequently alongside Mitch McCarron by season’s end. Starting in 24 games, he posted a career-high 15 points against the Brisbane Bullets in round 13. McDaniel played a key role as United finished in first place with a 28-8 record and embarked on a successful championship run.

In the semifinals against Victorian rivals South East Melbourne Phoenix, both teams were forced to play in Sydney due to lockdown restrictions. After splitting the first two games, United returned to Melbourne for the decider, overcoming a slow start to secure an 84-74 victory. Jock Landale led with a season-high 27 points, while Goulding (14 points) celebrated his 350th game. McCarron, Hopson, and Lual-Acuil provided key support, while Te Rangi (22 points) and Creek (19 points) led the Phoenix.

With Western Australia’s border restrictions in place, Perth, the lower seed, hosted the first two games of the Grand Final series. Despite missing Bryce Cotton, the Wildcats remained competitive, but United won both games in Perth. Returning to Melbourne, a sell-out crowd of 5,000 at John Cain Arena (within COVID-19 limits) watched United secure the title in Game 3 (81-76), marking Melbourne’s sixth championship and second under the United branding. Landale (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks) capped off his stellar performance with the Finals MVP award.

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS
2021/22
After completing his contract with Melbourne United in 2021, McDaniel began discussions with the newly established Tasmania JackJumpers. The team, aiming to build a solid young core, offered him a multi-year contract, making his move to Tasmania for his fifth NBL season an easy decision. Notably, McDaniel was the only fully rostered JackJumpers player born in Tasmania.

The JackJumpers’ debut season started with low expectations, as multiple betting agencies placed them at 400:1 odds to win the championship. Defying the odds, the JackJumpers won their NBL debut on 3 December 2021, defeating Brisbane in a thrilling overtime game (83–74). However, after their initial victory, the team struggled to find consistency and sat in ninth place with a 2-6 record heading into round eight.

The season took a further hit when marquee signing Will Magnay suffered a season-ending injury, forcing coach Scott Roth to adjust the team’s strategy. Shifting to a more balanced approach, the JackJumpers found their stride, winning 10 of their last 12 games and finishing with a 17–11 record, clinching fifth place. In a twist of fate, Tasmania leapfrogged Perth to take fourth place on points percentage after South East Melbourne defeated the Wildcats in the final game of the season.

McDaniel finished the regular season averaging 5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, as the JackJumpers advanced to the semifinals to face the reigning champions and McDaniel’s former team, Melbourne United. In the series, Tasmania dropped Game 1 (74-63) but evened the series at home, leading to a decisive Game 3. With Melbourne’s captain Chris Goulding sidelined, Tasmania seized control in the final moments, securing a nail-biting victory (76-73) and advancing to the Grand Final series.

The JackJumpers faced the Sydney Kings in the Grand Final series. Sydney dominated Game 1 with a 95-78 win. In Game 2, JackJumpers’ fan favorite Josh Adams erupted for 36 points, but Sydney held on to win 90-86, with strong performances from captain Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin. Sydney’s win marked their 12th consecutive road victory, setting an NBL record.

The Kings then completed the sweep in Game 3 before a crowd of 16,000 at Qudos Bank Arena, winning 77-69 to claim their first championship in 17 years. Cooks and Martin combined for 45 points and 29 rebounds, capping off Sydney’s season with 19 wins from their last 21 games.

TASMANIA JACKJUMPERS
2022/23
Entering their second season, the JackJumpers retained most of their roster, with only Josh Adams and MiKyle McIntosh departing. Coach Scott Roth brought in Milton Doyle to replace Adams and Rashard Kelly in place of McIntosh. With Will Magnay (5.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks) rehabilitating from a foot injury and captain Clint Stiendl (4.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) sidelined from a knee injury sustained at the FIBA Asia Cup, the team started shakily, dropping early games to South East Melbourne (79-84), Cairns (84-106), and New Zealand (65-71). They earned their first win in a gritty overtime contest against Brisbane (90–86), driven by Doyle’s 32 points and 4 assists.

Tasmania then embarked on a four-game winning streak, propelling them back into playoff contention. Doyle led the team in scoring (17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 steals), while Jack McVeigh (14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) continued his scoring ascent. Tasmania clinched fourth place with a 16-12 record and qualified for the inaugural NBL play-in tournament.

Point guard Josh Magette (10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.0 steals) suffered an injury in the final regular season game, sidelining him for the playoffs. Kelly (12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists), development player Sean MacDonald (6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists), and injury replacement Isaac White (5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists) stepped up, filling in admirably. Tasmania defeated Cairns (79–87) in the play-in qualifier but lost to New Zealand in the semifinals (77-92).

McDaniel appeared in 14 games for the season, averaging 4.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.

BRISBANE BULLETS
2023/24
McDaniel joined the Brisbane Bullets on a two-year contract beginning 31 March 2023, reuniting with former coach Justin Schueller from their Melbourne United days.

“Sam is one of the first players I thought of to help impact and change the way we defend as a club,” Bullets Head Coach Justin Schueller said upon signing McDaniel.

“I’ve been in the fire with Sam and won with him; he has the habits and mindset we need and knows what championship success looks like!”

Sam McDaniel currently plays for the Brisbane Bullets and has played 146 games in his NBL career. He has averaged 4.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists since entering the league in 2018.

CURRENT CONTRACT:

Brisbane Bullets – 2 Year Deal (2023-25)

Dan Boyce (823 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.