STARKVILLE — As a young kid, Travis Daniels never believed he was going to play Division I basketball.

The circumstances that surrounded Daniels made it difficult for him to believe he was going to accomplish anything, much less play basketball in college. Born to a single mother, Rachel Daniels, and raised by his grandmother, Annie Ruth Daniels, nothing came easy for Daniels growing up in Eutaw, Ala.

But Daniels surprised himself. After playing two seasons at Shelton State (Ala.) Community College, he received a scholarship offer from Rick Ray and Mississippi State and is now in his second season in Starkville. At 6 tonight (SEC Network), Daniels and MSU (13-15, 6-10 Southeastern Conference) will play Ole Miss (18-11, 8-8) at The Pavilion at Ole Miss.

After tonight, Daniels will have one more regular-season game with the Bulldogs. MSU will play host to Auburn on Saturday afternoon. Daniels and classmates Gavin Ware, Craig Sword, and Fred Thomas will be recognized before the game.

When Daniels was 13, his grandmother got sick and he and his two younger siblings had to move in with cousins. He lived there for one year and then moved in with an older sister.

While at school one day, Daniels said his sister took his clothes to social worker Karmisha Gibson because she could no longer care for him. He finished the school year living with Stan and Tamkia Thompson, his counselor at Greene County High School.

When the school year finished, Gibson took him to Florence, Ala., where he lived in a group home.

Daniels said he sees what his sister did as a blessing.

“Just imagine if my sister didn’t take my stuff up there,” Daniels said. “I’d probably still be around there and y’all wouldn’t know who I am today. It worked out overall.”

As a junior at Wilson School, Daniels met Harlan “Peaches” and Linda Winston. Having three kids of their own, they adopted Daniels. Daniels played his senior year at Russellville High.

Daniels didn’t learn how to play basketball in organized games. He said he learned to play on the streets and watching other guys. He tried to learn as much as he could from guys in his neighborhood and professional players. He watched LeBron James and immediately felt a connection to him. Daniels learned James also grew up with out a father and was drawn to him.

“Through that whole time I was being motivated,” Daniels said. “I didn’t have a father, so I didn’t have that person that was like, ‘Hey, let’s go work out, let’s go play basketball.’ What you see is what I watched and studied people.”

Daniels said he had male mentors in his life, but never a father figure. He said he rarely got into trouble as a kid and kept turning to basketball. He said the court and the game were his outlet for everything bad in his life.

“When I’m mad, I go to the basketball court,” Daniels said. “Basketball was basically my life. Basketball basically got me here.”

Daniels experienced hardship getting to MSU. After two seasons at Shelton State, he had to attend another semester at the community college to get his grades on track. When Daniels arrived at MSU in December 2013, Ray told him he was going to be redshirted. Daniels is happy he has had two years to play for the Bulldogs.

When Ben Howland took over this past spring, it was a boost in the arm for Daniels, who said he remembered watching Howland coach UCLA. Daniels never dreamed he would play for the legendary coach, something he told Howland early on.

Daniels was in the starting lineup early this season, but he suffered a concussion Dec. 12 against Missouri-Kansas City. The time out of the lineup was nothing compared to his upbringing, so Daniels knew how to handle it.

“I just stayed positive and I didn’t get down on myself,” Daniels said. “I knew what I had to do, I didn’t look toward anybody and be like, ‘Why is everything happening this way?’ I just sucked everything up and just tried to help my team.”

Daniels is averaging 6.1 points per game after averaging 5.7 last season.

Daniels said he will look back fondly on his time at MSU and called it a “good journey.” He said he wouldn’t take anything back and is glad he decided to attend MSU.

Daniels hopes to play overseas after the season. He said he has been contacted by agents and wants to continue his basketball career. He will attempt to realize that goal with a bright outlook on life.

“(I’m) just staying positive. Where I’m from, most people aren’t successful like I am,” Daniels said.

Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait

Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.