Dominique Daniels Jr., a guard for California Baptist University’s men’s basketball team, secured a WAC Tournament championship for the Lancers on Saturday with a clutch three-pointer, propelling the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The victory over Utah Valley, 63-61, came after a period of intense personal reflection for Daniels, who contemplated leaving the program for potential Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities following the 2024 season.
Daniels, who averaged 23.2 points per game this season, ranks as the fifth-highest scorer in Division I basketball. He previously averaged 19.6 and 19.2 points in the 2024-25 and 2023-24 seasons, respectively, earning All-WAC First Team honors last year. His decision to remain at Cal Baptist, despite the allure of potentially lucrative NIL deals, has been lauded by teammates and coaches as a testament to his character and commitment.
The process of making that decision wasn’t easy. Daniels undertook a fast lasting two to three weeks, consuming only water, resulting in a ten-pound weight loss, as he sought clarity. “It speaks huge to his character, because he’s one of the most humble guys I’ve ever met,” said teammate Jayden Jackson. “He’s not flaunting anything or anything like that, and he’s always been a team-oriented guy. For Dom to come back and be with this winning program and also be a leader as well in the fight every day, because, again, I haven’t seen guys work as hard as Dom ever in my career.”
Coach Rick Croy acknowledged Daniels’ fast, though he was unaware of its duration, emphasizing it as an example of the player’s discipline. “There’s been times where we get back from a road trip at 1:00 a.m., really, on a Sunday, from a Saturday night game. It’s not a question of whether or not he’s going to church on Sunday. He’s going to be at church on Sunday with his family, in Compton,” Croy said. “He’s going to lead in our locker room, he’s going to lead in our university and he’s going to lead at church. He’s not going to listen to what everyone else is saying. He’s going to do what he thinks is right. And our guys feel that, and that’s where he’s been such a great teammate, such a great leader. But he knows what fuels him.”
Cal Baptist (25-8) will face a significant challenge in the NCAA Tournament, taking on the fourth-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in San Diego, a short distance from the Lancers’ Riverside campus. The game represents a virtual home contest for Cal Baptist, a program that transitioned from Division II in 2018. Daniels, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, entered the tournament as the second-highest scorer among players participating in March Madness, trailing only BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, who averages 25.3 points per game.
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