SAN FRANCISCO – Getting a head start at creating the 2025-26 recruiting class for Academy of Art men's basketball, Head Coach Scott Waterman and his staff have announced the addition of two student-athletes that will join the squad next season in Derrick Daniels Jr. (West Dayton, Ohio/Ranger College) and Cam Malray (Kansas City/Cal Poly).

"We are incredibly excited to add Derrick and Cam to the ART U Basketball family for the 2025-2026 season," Waterman said. "To get two highly talented bigs who have great inside and outside skills will be critical for our success going forward with the seniors we have graduating this year. We can't wait to get them to San Francisco and get to work."

Derrick Daniels Jr. (West Dayton, Ohio/Ranger College)
Entering ART U as an athletic sophomore, Daniels Jr. joins the Urban Knights after spending two seasons with Ranger College. In 2022-23, Daniels played in all 33 games for the Rangers while averaging 8.4 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per contest. Scoring a career-high of 20 points with the team, Daniels Jr. helped them acquire a 27-8 overall record, while putting together a 12-2 NTJCAC Conference record. Three postseason victories were secured for the Rangers during Daniels Jr.'s time, as he contributed towards two 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association Region V Tournament triumphs with another in the first round of the 2023 NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. The native of West Dayton, Ohio was a part of a Ranger College team that held a No. 21 NJCAA DI ranking entering the postseason.

A force on both ends of the floor, Daniels Jr. ranked sixth in his conference in points per 40 minutes while shooting 43.5 percent from the field, as well as defensive rebounds, where he racked up 154 on the opposing side of the floor with 224 total on both ends.

Upon his arrival at Academy of Art, Daniels Jr. will enroll in the School of Communications & Media Technologies.
 
Cam Malray (Kansas City/Cal Poly)
Malray joins the squad as an athletic junior after a single season at Cal Poly and following his spent time at Dodge City Community College in Kansas and Northern Oklahoma College prior. In his time with the Mustangs, Malray averaged 16.5 minutes in his appearances as he shot 40.0 percent from the field.

As a sophomore during the 2022-23 season with Dodge City, Malray started all but one of 35 games while averaging 10.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per outing. The native of Kansas City finished with 20 double-digit scoring games, topping out with two career high 22-point performances. Also a force down on the block, Malray contributed six double-digit rebounding efforts, as he grabbed a collegiate-high 17 boards. With Malray's strong play, the program finished 25-10 overall, and captured the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference title with an 18-6 mark while the team additionally reached the quarterfinals of the NJCAA DI National Tournament.

In his time with Northern Oklahoma, Malray averaged 9.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 27 appearances during the 2021-22 season. The freshman at the time produced eight double-digit scoring games as the program finished 21-8 overall.
 
Malray will enroll in the School of Communications & Media Technologies at Academy of Art this fall.