Coahoma County High School senior guard Jermell Daniels is weeks away from graduation and has his sights set on playing college basketball.
Daniels said he would like to play for Coahoma Community College or Mississippi Delta Community College. He hopes to finish his college basketball career at the University of Memphis. He played a key role in the Red Panthers winning their second consecutive state championship this past season with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals per game. He also had two game-winning shots.
“I started playing basketball in third grade for Jonestown Elementary,” Daniels said. “From third grade, I’ve been working on my grade until 12th grade.”
Daniels transferred from Coahoma Early College High School before his senior year.
“Getting adjusted to the school was easy because I already had been here before (in junior high school),” Daniels said.
“It’s been a good senior year. I won the championship. I’m graduating. That’s all I want to do.”
Daniels said one of his best plays came during the regular season when he blocked a shot off the backboard against Northside High School.
Daniels transferred to CCHS when it appeared CECHS would not have a basketball program. CECHS did have a basketball season, but Daniels transferred when it appeared that would not happen.
“I saw it on Facebook,” Daniels said. “I didn’t believe it.”
After Daniels came to CCHS, he was right at home with his first practice.
“It was a good practice because I felt like we were going to win from the start with the players,” he said. “It was special, but we just had to work.”
Daniels believes he could bring versatility to a college team.
“I could bring points, rebounds, assists and steals all in one,” he said.
While Daniels’ main sport is basketball, he ran the hurdles in track this past season and was a shortstop and pitcher in baseball.
“I used to play (baseball) when I was younger with my granddaddy,” Daniels said.
Daniels’ grandfather, the late Ray Christian, coached baseball in Jonestown and helped several kids play.
“When I was playing when I was younger, it was much easier because my granddaddy was at home with me every day and he would teach me,” Daniels said. “We used to play in the yard all the time. We used to go to the park and practice.”
Daniels was unable to play baseball his first three years of high school at Coahoma Early College High School. CECHS did not have a baseball program.
He was glad CCHS had a baseball program.
“It meant I had to play for my granddad,” Daniels said.
Growing up in Jonestown helped him become an athlete
“The only thing we were doing was playing basketball, playing football and playing baseball,” said Daniels, who was a wide receiver and safety for Coahoma County Junior High School.
Daniels only played about five baseball games because it overlapped with basketball season. However, he did recall a play at O’Bannon in a district game where he threw the ball from center field and got the runner out at home.
Daniels is mostly an A, B and C student. His best subject is math and his worst subject is US history.
“Math is easy because it’s numbers,” Daniels said. “I could count very well. In US history, you’ve got to remember all of the dates and all of the stuff that happened.”
Daniels plans to major in entrepreneurship or collision repair. He hopes to start a business selling cars.
“You’ve got to be a student first, so I do my work first,” Daniels said. “Then I play basketball after.”
Daniels has also had to juggle his academic and athletic schedule with work. He was once a cook at Bumpers in Marks.
