Through four seasons and 284 3-pointers, Harlan County’s Daniel Carmical became a marked man across the mountains with his ability to shoot a basketball. You couldn’t play Harlan County without a plan to guard Carmical.
With his high school graduation less than two weeks away, Carmical is ready for a new challenge on the collegiate level. He signed with Alice-Lloyd College on Monday to continue his athletic/academic career.
“I am really excited for Daniel. We started talking about the possibility of him continuing his basketball career after high school before the season began,” Harlan County coach Kyle Jones said. “Daniel is a lethal shooter, especially when he sees one go in the basket. I have seen him reel off five or six in a row several times in game situations over the course of his career. Any time you can shoot the basketball the way he is capable of doing, you have to game plan as an opposing coach for him. I think he can make that kind of impact with Alice Loyd as well. Daniel ended his career as the school’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals made and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark. He had a really good career at HC. We will miss him.”
Alice Lloyd posted a 14-15 record last season and finished 8-9 in River States Conference play.
“I really like how Daniel can shoot the ball,” Alice Lloyd coach Scott Cornett said. “He also works hard on the defensive end and is a total team player. He can really shoot the basketball and that will make him a great fit for us.”
Carmical averaged 13.1 points per game as a senior, helping Harlan County post a 27-6 record that had them ranked sixth in the state in the RPI ratings. Carmical was tied for fourth in the state with 3.9 3-pointers per game. The Bears won the 52nd District title before falling to Corbin in the 13th Region Tournament. He averaged 10.3 points per game as a junior when the Bears finished 19-11 and scored 7.8 per game as a sophomore on a 19-6 squad. Carmical was a key reserve as a freshman on a 24-11 team that fell in the finals of the regional tournament.
“I have changed a lot throughout my high school career. I will miss HCHS, but I am excited to see where the next four years take me. I can’t even imagine where else I will go in life, but I will try my best to make it great,” Carmical said. “ I have many amazing people in my life who push me to do what they know I can and want me to do what makes me happy. My family is my main supporters, and I am very thankful for that. My family always motivates me to be whatever I want to be. HCHS always made me feel like family and that’s why I picked Alice Lloyd. When I went to visit over there, they treated me like I was already there and made me feel like I belonged. Alice Lloyd reminded me of home. I can’t wait to see where my career goes. I am excited. I want to thank God and my family, coaches and teammates.”