Citation for this article is:

UA19 Athletics Hall of Fame Program, September 13, 1991.

A three-time All America selection, Jim McDaniels ranks as one of the best known of all former Hilltopper athletes.

He is one of just three Western basketball players to be recognized as a “consensus” All-American pick (as a senior in 1971). The 7-0 McDaniels was also the Ohio Valley Conference Player-of-the-Year both his junior and senior seasons.

He holds Western records for both single season (878 points) and career (2,238 points) scoring.
A product of nearby Allen County High School in Scottsville, he is one of only three Hilltoppers ever to average 20-or-more points a game for three seasons. His 27.6 career scoring average still ranks first in the WKU record books.

As a senior, he was named the Most Valuable Player in both the prestigious ECAC Holiday Festival (leading the Toppers to runner0up honors) in New York’s Madison Square Garden and in the NCAA Mideast Regional Tournament in Athens, GA.

He paced Western to the championship of the NCAA Mideast Regional, gaining the 1971 Hilltoppers the schools’ only appearance in the NCAA Final Four. At that Final Four, McDaniels led his teammates to a third place finish after narrowly missing a berth in the national championship game following a double overtime loss to Villanova. He was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.

The three Western varsity teams he competed on won 62 of 81 games (76.5 percent).
His junior year, the Toppers blossomed and took the OVC championship, earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The team went 22-3 and put together a 16-game winning streak while he was burning the nets for 28.6 points a game.

The ’70-71 Hilltoppers will long be remembered as one of the most successful teams in the long and storied history of Western athletic. That team again won the OVC title and advanced to the Final Four. McDaniels scored at a 29.3 clip that season, still a WKU school record.

He recorded three of the top six single game scoring totals ever at WKU. In fact, Hilltopper cagers have scored 35-or-more points in a single game 40 times through the years- 13 of those by McDaniels.

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Additional information regarding Jim McDaniels:

College Heights Herald articles:

1967 May 18 1977 October 27, p. 4C
1984 April 17 p. 13; 24, pp. 6-8
1988 April 21, p. 14
1993 October 28, p. 13
2000 January 20, p. 15

"Jim McDaniels Called 'Finest Shooter Ever' at Western," Louisville Defender, Oct. 15, 1970.

Kindred, Dave. "European Trip Education for Western's McDaniels," The Louisville Times, Sep. 1, 1970.

Koerner, Dave. "McDaniels Says He's Victim of WKU Snub Because of Past Error," Citizen-Times, June 20, 1995.

Louisville Courier-Journal

Adams, David. “Degree Meant More to Mac Than a Million,” Aug. 9, 1971.

Beardsley, Dick. “Mac Must Return Before Cougars Confer – Scheer,” Feb. 14, 1972.

Branch, Bruce. “’71 Western Team Cites Special Bond,” April 22, 1988.

“McDaniels Seeks Job on Western Staff,” April 19, 1988.

“Buffalo Signs 7-Foot Jim McDaniels; Collins Placed on Waivers by Falcons,” Sept. 15, 1977.

“Cougars Suspend Big Mac, Wonder Where He’s Headed,” Feb. 12, 1972.

“Double Probe, NCAA, OVC Investigates Reports of Pro Signings,” Jan. 26, 1971.

Eagle, Dean. “Sonics Sign McDaniels; Cougars Will Fight,” Feb. 18, 1972.

Flynn. John. “Mac No Pro, Just Plays Like One,” Jan. 26, 1971.

Forde, Pat. “State Hall Still Hasn’t a Spot for McDaniels,” July 4, 2003.

Kindred, Dave. “Cougars’ McDaniels Keep on Improving Despite Rick Barry,” Oct. 7, 1971.

"McDaniels and Elmore Smith Get Votes for All-America," 1971.

Loomis, Ken. “The McDaniels Case: A Story of Intrigue in Sports,” Dec. 7, 1976.

“Mac Denies Signing Report,” Jan. 24, 1971.

“MacDaniels, ABA Target of NCAA Suit,” April 6, 1972.

“MacDaniels, Cougars Still Not Speaking,” Feb. 13, 1972.

“MacDaniels Gets Court Breather Until Feb. 28,” Feb. 19, 1972.

“McDaniels Gives as Well as Receives (Lumps, That Is),” Nov. 11, 1971.

“McDaniels Keys Braves,” Dec. 22, 1977.

“McDaniels Keys Buffalo Win; Pistons, 76ers, Spurs Rout Foes,” Nov. 11, 1977.

Overpeck, Keith. “Far From Bitter,” Feb. 27, 1976.

“’Hungry Hubie’ Goes for 3rd Win,” April 21, 1976.

“McDaniels’ Heroics Not Enough as Cavs Beat Back Buffalo,” Oct. 7, 1977.

Reed, Billy. “McDaniels Faces Dilemma,” Feb. 17, 1967.

“Ten Picked for WKU’s New Hall of Fame,” July 25, 1991.

“The McDaniels Case,” Feb. 18, 1972.

"Western to Honor McDaniels," Dec. 15, 1999.

White, Bob. “WKU’s McDaniels Finally Gets Call,” June 27, 2004.

Loyal, Taylor. "Tops Beat Cats, Race Barriers 30 Years Ago," College Heights Herald, Nov. 15, 2001.

"Mac's Jump Invokes Stars' Wrath," The Louisville Times, March 31, 1971.

O'Brien, Jim. "Big Mac," College & Pro Official Yearbook, Basketball, 1970-71.

Park City Daily News

“Big Mac Day Set Sunday,” May 4, 1971.

“Big Mac Eyes $900,000 Pact,” Jan. 25, 1971.

Borrone, Bert. “McDaniels’ $2.2 Million Pro Contract in Jeopardy,” nd.

“Bulls Fail to Gain on Bucks,” Feb. 21, 1972.

Clark, Mike. “McDaniels is Now ‘Hungry to Play,’” March 11, 1976.

“Colonels to Use Mac as Gilmore’s Backup,” Feb. 18, 1976.

Edwards, Joe. “He’s Overwhelming, Wife Says of Big Mac,” Jan. 1971.

“Feix Praises the Verdict,” April 14, 1987.

Hanes, Clark. “McDaniels to Pick Up $66,000 Tab?” March 8, 1972.

“Mac, Caldwell Pace Cougars,” Feb. 3, 1972.

“Mac is Back,” Oct. 9, 1977.

“Mac Seeking Damages,” April 7, 1972.

Mathis, Mark. “Big Mac is Back in Town with New Team,” April 18, 1984.

“McDaniels, ABA Face Suit for $285,763,” April 6, 1972.

“McDaniels Announces Contract with Sonics,” Feb. 21, 1972.

“McDaniels Criticizes the ABA,” March 12, 1972.

“McDaniels, Feix Selected for Hall,” July 7, 2004.

“McDaniels is Suspended,” Feb. 13, 1972.

“McDaniels Stands Out as Braves Tip Houston,” Dec. 21, 1977.

Medley, Joe. “Former Hilltopper McDaniels Finds New Life in the Ministry,” Feb. 24, 1991.

“McDaniels Claims Discrimination, Long Memory at WKU,” June 20, 1995.

“McDaniels Gets Shot to Work in NBA,” May 16, 1995.

“McDaniels Drops WKU Job Push,” nd.

“Might Rule on Big Mac,” March 9, 1972.

“Newspaper Says McDaniels Inks American Basketball Contract,” Jan. 24, 1971.

Rosenthal, Bert. “Big Mac, Gilmore Head ABA Rookies,” Oct. 8, 1971.

“Big Mac Comes of Age in ABA All-Star Game,” Jan. 31, 1972.

Stapleton, O.J. “Western Duo Going into Ky. Hall of Fame,” Sep. 9, 2004.

“Three Injured in Thursday Night Crash,” March 27, 1970.

Pedigo, Matt. "Scottsville an Assist to Former Basketball Great," Citizen Times, Jan. 27, 2000.

Pickens, Jim. "Big Mac Deserves Salute at Western," Messenger-Inquirer, Dec. 13, 1999.

"Big Mac Finally Receives His Due," Messenger-Inquirer, July 2, 2004.