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Auburn Basketball: Marquis Daniels Named SEC Basketball Legend

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Here we remember former Auburn basketball star Marquis Daniels, who was recently named to the list of Allstate® SEC Basketball Legends.

Auburn basketball has taken a different direction since Marquis Daniels‘ departure in 2003 following a Sweet 16 loss to the eventual national champions Syracuse. In that loss, Daniels went off with a bang, scoring 27 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Orange.

Daniels averaged 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game for the Auburn Tigers in his four years. Since going undrafted into the NBA, Daniels played for the Dallas Mavericks, the Indiana Pacers, the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. Though he never had a breakout season, Daniels was consistently a valuable rotational player.

Named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2004, Daniels would average just under eight points per game. Serving as Steve Nash‘s backup, Daniels would flash signs of brilliance under head coach Don Nelson, often showing a potential attitude to become a starter.

Though Daniels was impressive for a 10-game stretch, his NBA career continued on as a bench-rotational player who served as a veteran for the inexperienced rookies. The later half of his career with the Boston Celtics he even grew the attention of the fans of the Boston Garden, becoming a fan favorite over his short stint for the C’s.

Following a bruised spinal cord injury against the Orlando Magic in February 2011 — colliding with former star Gilbert Arenas — Daniels’ career would begin a quick descent. Daniels would be part of a Celtic’s playoff push in 2012 before falling to the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat, in an otherwise heartbreaking series loss for the Celtics.

Though he consistently showed potential stardom in the NBA, Daniels will be remembered for sparking the last NCAA tournament push for Auburn. He came one year following the last Auburn SEC regular season championship, a drought that has plagued the Plains since 1999.

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Daniels had become a legend on the Plains, and now he will be forever remembered as an SEC basketball legend. Daniels will be enshrined alongside 13 others, one for each team in the SEC. He will be joined alongside George Linn, Alabama; Oliver Miller, Arkansas; Matt Bonner, Florida; Jimmy Pitts, Georgia; Keith Bogans, Kentucky; Tasmin Mitchell, LSU; Jason Harrison, Ole Miss; Dontae’ Jones, Mississippi State; Jon Sundvold, Missouri; Bobby Cremins, South Carolina; Ron Slay, Tennessee; Acie Law IV, Texas A&M; Barry Booker, Vanderbilt.

These former greats will be enshrined at the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament on March 8.

Here’s to Daniels and the future of Auburn basketball.

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