a 6'11" power forward/center, mcdaniels averaged nearly 40 points per game as a senior at allen county high school in scottsville, kentucky. from 1967 to 1971, he played at western kentucky university, leading his team to a third-place finish in the 1971 ncaa men's division i basketball tournament. (the ncaa later voided western kentucky's participation in the tournament, accusing mcdaniels of signing with an agent while still in college.) he also set wku school records with 2,238 career points (now tied with courtney lee) and 1,118 career rebounds.