Amidst the clanging of weights and intensity of the Julius L. Chambers High School weight room, the basketball team’s head coach Brian Frasier called his star player Daniel Hankins-Sanford into his office.

Frank Martin wanted to speak with him.

Daniel entered the room, greeting Frank and his head recruiter, Brian Steele, with his signature smile. Frank got to the point: he was offering Daniel a scholarship to come and play basketball for him at the University of South Carolina.

Those words were a dream come true for Daniel. After a long process of receiving various offers to play NCAA basketball for different programs and going through Frank’s rigorous workouts, Steele stuck his neck out on Daniel’s behalf to get the ball rolling with South Carolina.  

Despite his attempts at a calm demeanor, Daniel was fighting back tears of joy. He exited the office and headed back to the weight room to tell his teammates, sending his team into a frenzy.

When Frank heard the explosion of excitement from across the hall, he knew he made the right decision.

Steele had known Daniel since his freshman year of high school, when he met him on a trip to scout one of his teammates at the time. When the two first met, Daniel introduced himself and made a bold prediction.

“You’re [going to] remember me,” Daniel said as a freshman. “I want a scholarship.”

It was almost like he could predict the future.

For Daniel, South Carolina had everything he was looking for. It was close to his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and he would go up against the best of the best in the Southeastern Conference. But most of all, Frank was there. Daniel grew to love Frank throughout the recruiting process, appreciating his persistence and how similar he was to Frasier.

“Everything just made sense. It was a good situation for me,” Daniel said. “… [Frank’s] everything you would want in a coach. He’s hard, he’s passionate about what he [does]. He loves his players.”

It was a perfect fit for Frank and Steele too, seeing how well Daniel meshed with their coaching style. The intensity Frank’s staff has on a daily basis can be overwhelming for certain players, but Daniel was the type of athlete who thrived in that environment.

At Julius L. Chambers, Frasier held his players to a high standard and was never afraid to let his team know it. This worked wonders for Daniel, who knew just how to get the most out of each lesson while also keeping his team loose with his goofiness and positivity.

“You can get on [Daniel], and he’ll be back tomorrow,” Frasier said. “Despite whether you’re [going to] get on him even harder, or if you’re [going to] love on him even more, it doesn’t matter. He’s [going to] come back, because he respects relationships, and he respects people that put time into him.”

At a summer game during Daniel’s senior year of high school, Steele witnessed him handle intense coaching firsthand. Daniel messed up on a baseline-out play, and Frasier called him out on it. Daniel’s response? He maintained eye contact with his coach without changing his demeanor, nodded and got right back on the court.

Steele knew then he would be the perfect fit.

Daniel had a way of softening up tough coaches. He always FaceTimed Frasier rather than text him like his other teammates did. Frasier tried to keep a military-esque demeanor, but between the FaceTimes and the 15-20 goofy selfies that Daniel would take on his phone every time he left it unattended, he couldn’t help but laugh. 

In high school, Daniel had many opportunities to go to different schools that would have increased his exposure to college teams. A lot of players in his situation may have jumped ship, but Daniel remained loyal to Frasier, sticking it out for all four years.

Even during his junior year of high school when COVID-19 restrictions hit and canceled the basketball season, Daniel had opportunities to play a season somewhere else. Still, he stayed put without a second thought. 

“He is one of those kids that is few and far between nowadays,” Frasier said.

Relationships mean everything to Daniel, and he always tries to show everyone around him love. His bubbly and extroverted personality helps generate connections with people, as he has a way of controlling each room he enters, making his presence known in the best way possible.

Frank and Steele picked up on Daniel’s personality quickly but still went through the long and diligent recruiting process. They wanted to see Daniel in every environment possible, through ups and downs. They made sure to create relationships with everyone he was close to, something Daniel appreciated more than anything.

“Frank put it all on the table with him, no sugar coating,” Daniel’s brother Shy Sanford said. “[Daniel] accepted that and loved that about him.”

Daniel could be seen wearing a white “Frank Martin Basketball Camp” shirt during pregame warmups throughout his senior season, even wearing it underneath his jersey throughout the game. 

Despite the attention that Daniel was generating through the recruiting process, he remained the same genuine, caring person he’d always been. At junior varsity games, you could catch Daniel helping the team out, giving water to his school’s players as they came off the court.

Frasier always appreciated Daniel’s humility, making him the first freshman ever to play on Chambers’ varsity team. His skills were one thing, but Frasier knew he had the personality to put his head down and grind to improve as a player.

He went through the rest of his senior year of high school excited to get started with the Gamecocks, when one day while sitting in class, his phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. He opened his phone to a list of text messages from his friends and family, with an ESPN notification at the top of it all.

“Frank Martin fired”

Daniel raised his hand to get his teacher’s attention.

“I need to go home,” Daniel said. “I need to figure something out.”

It was so unexpected. Daniel already signed his National Letter of Intent to go play at South Carolina, but now everything was back up in the air.

Would the Gamecocks still want him? Where was Frank going to end up? 

Eleven days later, the news came out that Frank was headed to UMass to take over the Massachusetts basketball program. Despite now being nowhere near Daniel’s hometown, Steele and Frank still made sure to reach out and tell him he was welcome to come with them to Amherst. 

Daniel’s loyalty was tested, whether he’d stay with Frank or South Carolina. It was time to make a hard decision.

Family has always been a big part of Daniel’s life, and he has an especially close relationship with his mother, whose multiple sclerosis makes it hard for her to travel far distances. Staying close to home was something he valued immensely.

As much as he wanted to follow Frank, Daniel officially committed to South Carolina, wanting to follow through with his original promise. The proximity to home was the cherry on top. He would play his freshman season with the Gamecocks, even though the main reason he initially wanted to be in South Carolina was now 869 miles away.

Daniel gave 100 percent of his attention to South Carolina during his first year in college. He trained the whole summer prior, wanting to set himself up for success.  Shortly before the season started, the No. 1 prospect in the country at the time, GG Jackson, committed to join the Gamecocks.

“I kind of already knew, ‘Okay, [you’re] about to be playing behind him,’” Daniel said. “So it was just the mentality every day of, ‘Now, [I’ve] just got to get better and show what I can do.’”

Playing time was hard to come by for Daniel as a freshman. His fit within the team also wasn’t what he was expecting, and he struggled to stay focused at times without the coach he was hoping for.

Daniel’s favorite aspect of Frank and Frasier’s coaching was how much they stayed on him and didn’t put up with nonsense. He had grown accustomed to the hard-nosed coaching and knew it led to his personal success. Without Frank at South Carolina, it was the first time he didn’t have that, and he struggled to acclimate.

Thoughts about how things would be with Frank lingered in Daniel’s mind as a freshman. By the time the end of the season came, he knew he wanted to enter the transfer portal.

It took just 30 minutes of Daniel’s time in the portal for him to decide where to transfer. The incoming sophomore called his brother Shy to let him know where he was headed.

“I’m going to Massachusetts with Frank Martin,” Daniel said. “Where I belong.”

After his verbal commitment, Daniel took a one-day visit to UMass alongside his high school teammate Jaylen Curry. Curry was an incoming freshman, deciding where he wanted to be for his own college career. Daniel helped convince his friend and former teammate that playing under Frank was the right move.

The 800-mile distance from home was Daniel’s new biggest obstacle. At South Carolina, he drove home any chance he could, but in Massachusetts, flying back and forth wasn’t realistic.

Along with distance, he had to acclimate to the different weather, experiencing it on his one-day UMass visit. 

Wearing a hoodie with no drawstrings in the dead of winter, the new recruit struggled to take in the campus and facilities due to how cold he was. He made sure to let Steele know he had seen enough. He knew two things: he wanted to play for Frank and he wanted to go get warm.

“I don’t even need to see more of the campus,” Daniel said. “I’m committed.”

As a second opportunity to play for Frank was not something he wanted to pass up, the cold would have to be something he got used to. Daniel had confidence that the transition to UMass would be easy enough, as long as he had the coach he wanted by his side. 

Daniel thought that change could be a good thing as well, seeing that South Carolina didn’t go the way he had hoped it would. Being in a new program in a different state was probably just what he needed. His family reassured him that they’d support him while making the switch, hoping that it may also limit distractions outside of being a student-athlete.

“I knew coming up [to Massachusetts] would just help me lock in more,” Daniel said. “As long as my family was good, I was good. I know in life, you’ve got to sacrifice … to get where you want to be.”

Even with all of the confidence that he had in his decision, Daniel struggled off the court in his first year with the Minutemen. He had never been away from his family for an extended period of time, and the homesickness affected him immensely.

Despite struggling with his mental health, Daniel kept his head down and made the most of his new situation on the court. He found himself getting real minutes with UMass as its sixth man, impressing the staff with his coachability.

Over the course of the season, Daniel became closer with Frank, truly leaning into his philosophies on and off the court to not mess around and make the most of every opportunity. With support from his family and Frank, Daniel persevered through the year and came to the conclusion that sticking with the Minutemen was still best for him.

“Just talking to my family and listening to Frank give us his speeches and stuff, I understood, like, this is my sacrifice,” Daniel said. “My sacrifice is not being home, playing with my dog, chilling with my family. I’m all the way in Massachusetts, trying to get a degree and hopefully, make some money to change my family’s life.”

The summer after his sophomore year, Daniel finally acclimated to UMass and the thought of being away from home. Being back in Charlotte showed him that while he was at school, he wasn’t missing out on anything. Everything was the same as he left it.

Returning to Amherst toward the end of the summer, Daniel enjoyed fishing on his off days at the Connecticut River to relax his mind. Steele brought him out to the river to not only get his mind off basketball but to continue to grow their bond.

The first day they got out there turned out to be the luckiest day of Steele’s fishing career. In just 30 minutes, they caught 12 trout, much to the delight of Daniel.

“Man, I love fishing!” Daniel said.

“Me too,” Steele said with a laugh.

“[Daniel] brings me so much joy,” Steele said. “There’s days I might be feeling down, or I might not be feeling 100 percent and I see Daniel, and he just instantly brings me joy. He’s cracking jokes, or he’s in a good mood, or he’s got energy.”

“He just has such a good energy about him, and that’s why I love Daniel. He’s just truly an energy giver and a guy who’s always bringing everybody around him up. He’s [going to] build you up, whether you’re a coach, a player, a manager, an academic advisor. He’s [going to] make you feel better about yourself.”

“He always makes me feel like I’m the best coach in the world.”

As he became more comfortable at UMass, Daniel tapped back into one of his other passions: barbering. Daniel was always fond of his local barbershop back home, spending time there with his friends to stay off the streets of Charlotte.

One day in 2020, the owner of the shop allowed him to sit in on a class he was teaching in the barber school next door. Instantly, Daniel knew it was something he wanted to try for himself. He got his first pair of clippers before heading out to South Carolina for his freshman year, and soon began cutting his roommates’ and teammates’ hair.

He wasn’t very good at the start, but it was a challenge and Daniel only wanted to get better. It was similar to basketball in that sense, but it also gave him something to do off the court and away from the classroom.

By the time his second summer in Amherst began, Daniel had taken the time to watch YouTube videos and practiced a lot to improve. He began cutting his Minutemen teammates along with other student-athletes on the football and hockey teams.

Daniel makes sure to let all of his clients know that his work speaks for itself. It helps that he usually will give cuts for free (unless he’s doing laundry soon, in which case he might charge $10).

These moments and relationships off the court helped Daniel become more comfortable with the thought of hitting the ground running in year two at UMass.

He acknowledged that he was lucky to play college basketball and wanted to make the most of that opportunity. With multiple starters transferring elsewhere, too, the path to the starting lineup was wide open.

Daniel spent his sophomore season learning as much as he could from more experienced teammates such as Matt Cross and Josh Cohen. With them on the way out, he truly had a chance to step up and show Frank what he was capable of. 

Coming back for his junior season, Daniel was one of seven returners for the Minutemen. As an upperclassman, he was thrust into more of a leadership role, helping to get his new, young teammates accustomed to the UMass way.

That season, Daniel started strong, averaging 10.8 points and 7.7 rebounds through his first seven games. He was truly thriving in his role in Frank’s program, becoming more confident with each passing game.

On Sunday, Dec. 1, Daniel had a dealt major setback. He left the Minutemen’s game against NJIT with his right index finger bothering him. He never suffered a significant injury before, but this pain was unlike anything he’d ever felt.

He got the news that his finger was broken, devastating Daniel, who finally felt like he was truly getting in a groove as a student-athlete. Sadness and frustration overtook him, unwilling to believe this had just happened after a rough two years. This was supposed to be his time to flourish. Instead, he’d have to go through rehab and wear a cast for the first time ever. 

But there was nothing he could do but look to the future.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Daniel said.

Rehabbing his injury taught Daniel valuable lessons about dealing with adversity. In the meantime, he did everything he could to help his team win.

Daniel’s leadership role grew. His voice on the sidelines and at practice got louder. He stayed on top of his conditioning. He led by example. If he couldn’t contribute physically on the hardwood, this was the next best thing.

“He’s become the spirit and voice of our team in difficult times,” Frank said. “Daniel’s a guy that people like being around.”

Getting the cast off and coming out of rehab, Daniel noticed that his right hand was now much skinnier than his left. With the right being his shooting hand, his new goal was to strengthen it back up into shooting form.

Unfortunately, this was much easier said than done. The mental aspect of breaking his shooting hand loomed over Daniel, as he worked to become confident again in his basketball abilities.

It took some time, but eventually Daniel made his way back into the lineup for the Minutemen’s first game of conference play against Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday, Dec. 31. It was exactly 30 days after he suffered his injury.

Although he was physically cleared to play, the mental struggles remained for Daniel, and he needed some time to get back in a groove. Mild performances against the Hawks and Richmond in the ensuing games were followed up by the roughest stretch of his career. 

In three games against Dayton, George Mason and Fordham, Daniel finished with just five combined points, making only one shot from the field. He completed the three-game stretch with 15 fouls, meaning he had fouled out of each contest.

During this time, Shy sent his brother highlights from his high school days, reminding him of what he’s capable of on the court to give him a confidence boost.

“Don’t ever forget who you [are],” Shy would say.

Something clicked for Daniel around this time, flipping a switch and ripping off six double-digit scoring games in a row. The sophomore version of himself may have struggled to mentally lock back in, but after a few years of adversity and the confidence that Frank instilled in him, Daniel was a new man.

“When things aren’t going your way, you can’t do less,” Daniel said. “You’ve got to do more.”

Things off the court were also trending in the right direction, with Daniel posting a 3.6 GPA in the fall. His mom also came out to Amherst for the first time.

Seeing his mom was perfect timing for Daniel, who had just texted his brothers a few days prior that he was missing his family. His brothers had already decided at that point to drive up 12 hours from Charlotte and bring some of his favorite hot dogs from home.

“Watching Daniel go through what he’s gone through; the difference with him at this time right [this year] compared to this time last year, it’s awesome,” Frank said. “I hope he continues in the trend that he’s going on right now.”

The final three games of the regular season proved to be the best of Daniel’s collegiate career to this point, finishing with or tying his career high in points (19, 22, 22) in each contest and wrapping things up with a career high 15 rebounds against Loyola Chicago.

22 points and 15 rebounds are numbers that Daniel was used to seeing in his high school games, finally showing to both himself and his team what he’s capable of at the collegiate level. Daniel’s development has taken time, and much of it has come from within himself, but having Frank by his side has proven to be just as impactful as he knew it would be as a freshman in high school.

“I thank Frank to this day,” Shy said. “He changed my little brother’s life for the better.”

The future is bright for the rising senior. Though UMass exited in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2025, the past two years have been nothing but growth as a basketball player and person for Daniel.

“I’m super happy that I made the decision to come to Massachusetts,” Daniel said. “My family’s at peace; I’m at peace. I feel like I wouldn’t change my decision for [anything].”

Mike Maynard can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @mikecmaynard.