Jailen Daniel-Dalton Chooses San Francisco State

The abbreviated story of 6-foot-7 Jailen Daniel-Dalton of Gavilan College is he recently committed to play next season for San Francisco State Coach Vince Inglima.

However, the longer narrative is a fascinating tale of a young man who never stopped working while believing in his potential as well as surrounding himself with the right people. Below are those specifics.

Meet Jailen Daniel-Dalton

Likeable, intelligent and well spoken, Daniel-Dalton's route to a full ride scholarship is not typical. Sure, many players head to a community college before moving on to the four-year level, but very, very few of these come out of high school (Mountain View High in this case) with zero offers.

Mountain View High Coach Kevin Mack had plenty to say about Daniel-Dalton. "Jailen is an incredible person, not just an amazing player. I am so unbelievably proud of him. He has worked so hard and worked through so much adversity over the last six years or so. To see him grow as a basketball player with all the hard work he has put in is great. But for me, even more is how hard he has worked in the classroom. He really has dedicated himself to get good grades and takes academics so seriously. To see him thrive in the classroom first, then on the court as well, makes me so proud."

Mack continued, "Going the junior college route was the best route for him. It really got him to focus on the details of his game and work on his shooting, his strength, and refine his game. Coach Jensen did an amazing job of preparing him for this next step."

"Jailen’s basketball IQ and leadership had grown immensely over the last few years. To see him now understand the game and the strategy behind it and all the little details is really cool. He sees the game from a different lens now. He is a great leader and knows how to motivate his teammates and holds himself and his teammates accountable at all times."

Some ill-advisedly told Daniel-Dalton not to head to Gavilan which by the way finished 19-10 overall, 8-4 in conference play this season. In a case of beware of those who think they know something they don't, the naysayers pushed him to attend a more prestigious program.

But after averaging 16.4 points per game on 49%, 39% and 72% shooting while totaling 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists, plus blocking 38 blocked shots as a sophomore, Daniel-Dalton earned Honorable Mention All State honors. 

About his strong season, it came about because "I remained optimistic and kept my faith in the system." That and "I got healthy after a shoulder surgery earlier. I got a little stronger and figured out my game. I got to the free throw line more, became efficient by picking and choosing my spots, and I rebounded more this year. I have a high basketball IQ."

Also, "my leadership took a huge step forward as I learned how to lead a team. In high school, I just kept my head down and did my job. Leadership is hard and can be tricky, but I figured it out. I came in early every day, thinking I have to be "the guy" and being in the right mood and frame of mind. I initially wanted to lead by example but you must be vocal and assertive and reach every player. My teammate Caleb Onuonga played a big part in my becoming the leader I am."

Gavilan Head Coach Derek Jensen offered, "I identified DD (Daniel-Dalton) as someone very talented and very under-recruited during his high school career at Mountain View. Luckily for us, we made a quick and easy connection. DD committed to Gavilan on the spot during his visit, which was completely shocking to me. From there, it was been nothing but positive."

The Transition To a Wing

He continued, "As a high school center, DD had a lot to learn and improve in order to become a four-year player, but all the raw tools were there. He was and is to this day extremely competitive, driven, focused, mature, coachable and hard-working. On top of that, obviously long and athletic. It took years for DD to develop into a full-time wing, but once he did, he quickly turned into one of the best players in the state. He was dominant in so many ways as regularly the best defender, rebounder, decision-maker, leader and competitor on the floor during any given practice or game."

"Our coaching staff did a great job pushing him to grow. Our training staff did a great job helping him through multiple shoulder surgeries and our academic support team with Darlene was huge for him as well. Above all, Jailen himself did everything asked of him and so much more. He came in hungry. He wanted to push himself and make himself the best he could be. DD the player is awesome and could play just about anywhere. But DD the young man is just an amazing person that our school, our community, our program and my family will miss very much. He will be like a little brother to me for the rest of my life and I cannot wait to see his continued success on and off the floor in the coming years."

Gator Head Coach Vince Inglima actively followed Daniel-Dalton all season, establishing and maintaining contact. Inglima is losing his top three scorers and needs to bolster his squad with fresh talent after a 16-13, 12-10 season.

Inglima and Assistant Coach/Lead Recruiting Coordinator Henry Anyiam handled Daniel-Dalton's pursuit.

Making the Gators His Four-Year College Address

"It felt right is the simplest way to put it," Daniel-Dalton explained. "The relationship we built up felt genuine, He came to the majority of my games and I went to some of their games to check them out. I wasn't tripping over the level. They were genuine from the jump, telling me exactly why they wanted me."

Daniel-Dalton is a member of a military household with both his father and mother serving. "My family is really tight despite lots of moves," the most recent being from Platte City, Missouri to Sunnyvale. The family also spent time in Georgia, among other states. On coming to the Bay Area, he remarked "I initially didn't get the lingo and it was strange here plus I had a crazy southern accent." But when he visited back in Georgia, Daniel-Dalton was labeled the California city slicker.

Regarding members on his thank you index, Daniel-Dalton offered "my list is huge. My parents, especially my Mom, because I can be a handful, for sure. I'm extremely close with my siblings (a 22-year-old sister and a 19-year-old brother). We're three peas in a pod, and my girlfriend is cool to be around. She always held me down and has been one of the best things to happen to me in these last few years. All my friends who support me and everyone at Gavilan has been extremely helpful, especially Derek Jensen and the assistant coaches. I also want to thank Coach Moe and JoJo."

Daniel-Dalton will major in kinesiology because "I want to be a personal trainer."

He plans to gain 15 pounds over the summer and stay in shape by participating in various summer leagues.