KALAMAZOO, MI — Kalamazoo Central guard Devon Daniels is transferring for the second time in his high school career, according to various reports on Twitter.
Daniels, a class of 2016 guard, is headed to California to play for Prolific Prep basketball academy, according to their Twitter account.
Daniels previously transferred to Kalamazoo Central for his sophomore year of high school where he quickly made a name for himself as one of the area's top players.
Recently, Daniels started to draw the attention of various Division I programs across the country following a strong summer of AAU basketball with 1Nation. The senior, regarded as one of the top seniors in the state, had offers from Minnesota, DePaul, Utah, UTEP, Buffalo and Drake.
Attempts to reach Daniels were unsuccessful and it is unclear why he is transferring from Kalamazoo Central.
According to its website, Prolific Prep, located in Napa Valley, is a “unique opportunity for a serious student-athlete to be immersed in an environment of unmatched basketball training…accompanied by local accredited school academics.”
While Daniels is leaving home and traveling across the country, he won’t be the only player from Michigan at Prolific Prep.
Josh Jackson, considered the top player in the country in the class of 2016 by numerous sites, will be at Prolific Prep for his second season. Jackson, who also played on Daniels' AAU team this summer, suited up for Detroit Consortium his first two years of high school before heading west. Daniels and Jackson will also be accompanied by Algevon Eichelberger, a former Saginaw High star who transferred to Prolific Prep last year.
Daniels also happens to be the second top basketball recruit in the state to transfer in the last week. On Aug. 10, Saginaw Arthur Hill star Brian Bowen announced he would be transferring to national basketball power La Lumiere High School in La Porte, Indiana, for his junior year of high school.
Daniels' departure is a big blow to Kalamazoo Central. This past season, Daniels helped lead the Maroon Giants to a SMAC East title while averaging 16 points, six rebounds and about four assists per game. His efforts earned him a spot on the 2015 MLive Kalamazoo Gazette Boys Basketball Dream Team.
Heading into his senior year, Daniels’ role with the Maroon Giants was expected to increase given the graduation of starting guard Hunter Hale. Kalamazoo Central, fresh off back-to-back appearances in the Class A regional finals, was also expected to make another deep run in the postseason with Daniels, along with class of 2017 big man, Isaiah Livers, leading the way.
Kalamazoo Central will likely still be one of the top teams in the area given its incredible depth, but the Maroon Giants’ chances at bringing home their first state title since back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011 took a considerable hit Sunday night.
Justin Dacey covers sports for MLive Media Group and the Kalamazoo Gazette. Send him an email at jdacey@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter: @JustinDacey.