Daniel Hankins-Sanford always knew he wanted to make a college decision before or around the start of his senior season.

So when the Gamecocks ramped up interest and ultimately offered him a few weeks before his decision, it was a no-brainer.

Hankins-Sanford committed a day before the start of the early signing period in November, the second piece in South Carolina’s 2022 class.

“I trust coach Brian Steele. He kept it real from the start. I feel like coach Martin is a good coach and I like what we’re doing over there at South Carolina,” Hankins-Sanford said. “I feel like I can be a great piece to what we’re trying to do. It’s close to home. My mom has multiple sclerosis and I want to be close to her. Then that’s about it. Everything else answers itself.”

Hankins-Sanford, speaking for the first time since he announced his decision and signed his NLI, came on his official visit in mid-October as his first real chance to see the program up close and personal in a visit setting.

He was able to attend the team’s kickoff event on Main Street and left even more impressed with the program than he was.

“It felt like I was already part of the family at the welcome event at the start of the season,” he said. “It felt like I was already fitting into the program and the community opened their arms up to me. The coaches and all the other athletes were talking with me.”

The Gamecocks like what Hankins-Sanford brings to the table and he thinks he can be a good piece of what South Carolina's doing on the floor.

“Coach Brian Steele wants me to, for one, rebound the ball," Hankins-Sanford said. "I'm a defense first type of guy so I feel like I can get some stops, hit open shots, attack.”

Hankins-Sanford plays right up the road at JL Chambers High School in Charlotte where he’s averaging 14.3 points, six rebounds and 2.7 steals in three games to start the year.

“I haven’t shown too much of what I can do yet. I’ve had a couple bumps in the road to start the season. It’ll be all right,” he said. “I definitely have more to show.”

One thing as Hankins-Sanford wants to see improve as the season wears on is his rebounding, which he thinks can get back to where it was his junior year when he was averaging 9.9.

“Just keep getting more efficient dribbling the ball and being able to knock down the open three and bump my rebound stats up,” “It’s a work in progress.”

Hankins-Sanford is one of two commitments in the 2022 class at the moment along with in-state point guard commit Zach Davis.

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