University of South Dakota Athletics

History

This endowment fund was established in honor of Jim and Clifton Daniels, the first black athletes to compete on the University of South Dakota basketball team. They transferred to USD from Lincoln University of Missouri in the sophomore years after outstanding high school athletic careers at Franklin K Lane High School in Queens, New York.

The Daniels brothers helped the Coyotes finish second in the North Central Conference in 1956, NCC Region Champions in 1957 and National Champions in the College Divison in 1958. Both Brothers were two-time NCAA All-Tourney Team players and received numerous other honors for their athletic abilities. Both graduated in 1958, Jim in accounting and Cliff in political science.

The South Dakota Sports Writers Association named the 1958 Coyotes Basketball team "College Team of the Year" and named Jim "Jimmie" Daniels "College Athlete of the Year." Jim was named to the first five of the 1958 Little All-American basketball team after receiving All-American honorable mention in 1957. Jim was named to the all-conference team in 1957 and was all-conference honorable mention in 1956. He was the leading scorer of the North Central Conference in 1958 and captain of the 1958 National Champion Coyote Basketball team - the first North Central Conference team ever to win a national championship in any sport. Jim scored 40 points in the national championship game against Saint Michael's of Vermont. In his senior year, he scored a total of 505 points, setting a school record. The 1958 Coyote basketball program notes said Jim "played best when the pressure was on and had broken many a team's spirit" with his hard-charging drives to the basket.

Cliff Daniels received All-American honorable mention in 1958, All-Conference team in 1957 and 1958 and All-Conference honorable mention in 1956. He was known as "the clutch player, the thinker, the quarterback." The 1958 program said he could jump the highest of any man on the team, in spite of being one of the shortest, was a sharp ball handler and a ball hawk on defense. He also participated in several student organizations, including the senior men's honorary service organization, the Dakotans.

Fund Notes

Started in 1998, earnings generated are used for scholarships to minority students in the USD Athletic Department. Recipients will be eligible for varsity competition in the sport in which they are selected for a scholarship.