Xavier McDaniel

Xavier Maurice McDaniel (born June 4, 1963), nicknamed "X-Man", is an American former professional basketball player who, at 6 ft 7 in, played both small forward and power forward. He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers.

High school career

McDaniel attended A.C. Flora High School in Columbia, South Carolina. During his time there, he helped the school basketball team win the state championship in 1981.

College career

While at Wichita State, McDaniel was the first person to lead the nation in both rebounding and scoring in the same season. In college, McDaniel began to shave both his head and his eyebrows to look more intimidating. He continued this all throughout his pro career.

For his first two seasons at Wichita State, the Shockers were on NCAA probation. He was a teammate his freshman year of future NBA players Antoine Carr and Cliff Levingston. When Levingston left for the NBA, McDaniel became a starter and averaged 18.8 points and 14.4 rebounds as a power forward opposite Carr. The following season, Carr left, and McDaniel raised his scoring average to 20.6 points per game and was the Missouri Valley Conference MVP. He then led the nation in scoring (27.4) and rebounding (15.0) his senior season becoming the first player to do so. Xavier McDaniel was inducted into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 1998.

McDaniel was a consensus First Team All American during his senior year at Wichita State as well as the NCAA leader in points and rebounds during the same year.

Professional career

Seattle SuperSonics

McDaniel was selected as the 4th overall pick in the first round of the 1985 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. An instant starter, he averaged 17.1 points per game, and finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year balloting to Patrick Ewing. His second season, he was one of a trio of 20 ppg scorers with the SuperSonics along with Dale Ellis and Tom Chambers. The SuperSonics made it to the Western Conference finals that season, before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. In that series, on May 23, 1987, McDaniel scored a career-high 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 122–121 loss. The following season, on January 20, 1988, McDaniel scored 41 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds in a win over the Knicks. On April 6, 1989, McDaniel scored 37 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and recorded 6 assists in a 126–119 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He averaged over 20 points per game for his final three seasons as a Sonic, including the 1988–89 season when he was used primarily as sixth man. McDaniel made his only all-star appearance in 1988 with the SuperSonics.

Despite regular season success, the SuperSonics ultimately came up short in the postseason in each of McDaniel's seasons. This, paired with tension among the team's starters, such as McDaniel getting into a lengthy fist-fight with Dale Ellis, ultimately led to the SuperSonics opting for youth and dealing him away.

Phoenix Suns

McDaniel was traded fifteen games into the 1990–91 season to the Phoenix Suns for Eddie Johnson and two draft picks., and they traded McDaniel for two 1st round draft picks as well as Eddie Johnson. On December 21, 1990, McDaniel scored 18 points, recorded 5 steals, and recorded 5 assists, in a 132–128 overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

The trade reunited him with teammate Tom Chambers, but it didn't produce the results the Suns were looking for. In October 1991, he was dealt to the New York Knicks for Trent Tucker, Jerrod Mustaf, and two 2nd-round picks. Dave Gavitt, the executive vice president for the Celtics claimed that “McDaniel wasn’t a perfect fit at his position but brought us something that would make us a better team” after signing McDaniel in free agency. During his three seasons with the Celtics, McDaniel averaged 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.

Iraklis Thessaloniki

In 1995, McDaniel signed with Greek club Iraklis Thessaloniki. With Iraklis, he was a Greek Cup finalist, in March 1996. During the FIBA EuroLeague 1995–96 season, he averaged 18.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. In the Greek Basketball League, he averaged 18.5 points, 9 rebounds and 38 minutes a game, playing in 24 of 26 games, being suspended for two.

New Jersey Nets

In October 1996, McDaniel signed with the New Jersey Nets. During his last two years with the New Jersey Nets, McDaniel's numbers started to drop off and he ultimately decided to retire after the 1998 season.

Post-playing career

After retiring from professional basketball, McDaniel moved back to his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, to be closer and reconnect with his family. He obtained a real estate license after retirement and likes flipping houses.

Personal life

McDaniel is married to the previous head women's basketball coach at Harris-Stowe State University, Morra Gill McDaniel. They have 2 sons, Max Love and Dax Love.

McDaniel's daughter, Xylina, a 6'2" forward, was one of 36 girls invited in June 2010 to participate in the United States Under-17 basketball team trials. She was the 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she played through 2016. His son Xavier McDaniel Jr. won a state championship in 2015 for Hammond School, with former North Carolina guard Seventh Woods. Xavier Jr. played college basketball at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.