Once upon a time, Jaden McDaniels was viewed as one of the prize jewels in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft.
A McDonald’s All-American from Federal Way, Washington, McDaniels was rated as the seventh-best recruit is RSCI rankings, per Basketball-Reference. And while he was heavily pursued by the University of Kentucky, McDaniels chose to stay near his home to play for Washington University.
What was supposed to be a launching pad for the 19-year-old to the NBA was anything but as he experienced a tumultuous 2019-20 season with the Huskies, who compiled a 15-17 record and were 5-13 in conference play.