University of Alberta Golden Bears basketball's Daniel Ferguson. (Photo by Dan McKechnie/The Gateway)

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EDMONTON (CUP) — Prior to every tip-off, when Daniel Ferguson’s name is called in the starting lineup for the University of Alberta Golden Bears basketball team, the announcer incorrectly states that the 6-foot-3 guard is from Edmonton.

It’s a misleading oversight that has gone unrecognized partially due to Ferguson’s self-effacing demeanour.

“They say that before the game for some reason. [This season] is actually the first time that I have ever been to Edmonton. I don’t know why they say it, but I don’t bother saying anything,” Ferguson explained. “I’m originally born and raised in Vancouver, and then I moved to Toronto in the eighth grade.”

Despite the confusion over his birthplace, Ferguson is making a name for himself in Canada’s basketball community — a distant cry from when he started playing in the United States and had difficulties attaining court time at Georgia Southern University.

He eventually finished his English literature degree at Berry College, a small school outside of Atlanta, Ga. and upon completion found comfort in the cold wilderness of Edmonton while studying for his master’s degree.

He’s had no trouble fitting into the CIS style of play — in his first eight games as a Golden Bear, Ferguson is averaging more than 24 points per game, good enough for tops in Canada West and third best in the country, and is currently the best player in the country from behind the three-point arch. Ferguson has already sunk an astonishing 35 baskets from downtown with an efficiency rate of more than 50 per cent.

But Ferguson’s skill-set is not the only thing turning heads on the Bears basketball team.

Alberta head coach Greg Francis, who played for the Canadian national team, praises his protégé not only for his scoring ability, but also for his charisma and maturity on the team. As Francis asserts, Ferguson’s teammates look up to him as somebody they can strive to be like both on the court and in the classroom.

“He has obviously had a big impact scoring-wise. He is the top scorer in the [Canada West Conference], but from the beginning where he helped us was with our team maturity and confidence. He makes us a little more confident,” Francis said.

“More importantly, on the academic side of things, he has created a very good environment on our team. Where he helps the team is that he shows the guys that if you stay focused, that they can get that master’s degree in their fifth or sixth years.”

But, it could have been different.

When Ferguson was only 17 years old, his father passed away. Distraught, Ferguson lost interest in school, averaging C’s and D’s, and became increasing frustrated at the situation he was forced to deal with.

That’s when Ferguson’s uncle Neville Anderson extended a fatherly hand to encourage him and his brothers to continue school, offering both emotional and financial support from an arms-length away to facilitate the growth of his nephews.

Had it not been for his uncle’s support, Ferguson may not have been able to achieve, or even have had the opportunity to strive for, the academic and athletic successes that he has attained.

“After high school, he helped pay for my prep school. He helped me select a good academic school. He was the one that got me my car in college so I didn’t look like a loser. He did so many things that he had no business doing. He is just a really giving man. I am glad that he was in my life,” Ferguson said.

“He has given me so much, and for me not to do anything with it would just be an abomination. He has given me all the tools to succeed, and I am not going to do anything with it? No, I have to do something with it. If I was to do nothing, it would be a total failure and a spit in his face.”

Today, his uncle continues to motivate Ferguson to reach his potential. He is constantly reminded of the sacrifices that Anderson made to support him throughout high school and college — a daily reminder not to let anything be taken for granted.

Ferguson remains on top of his game, embracing his studies at the University of Alberta. Pursing a master’s degree in sports management, Ferguson is focused on uncovering the missing links as to why elite basketball players in Canada have such a difficult time finding contracts in professional leagues in Europe.

It’s an area of study that, as Ferguson is the first to admit, is not purely altruistic — he has always dreamed of playing in Europe and he hopes that gaining a better understanding of why so many Canadians fail at getting chosen to play overseas will allow him to not make the same mistakes.

“So far, what I’ve found out is that talent is not the main variable to making it overseas for a Canadian. Making ourselves visible commodities as Canadians is key,” Ferguson explained. “Because we don’t have a FIBA league implemented in our country, Canadians can’t get on a team and make money professionally.

"We are in that weird in-between point where if you aren’t on the national team, where do you practice? You can’t practice in the Pavilion and expect to be a professional player. It’s too inconvenient to continue playing. I’m trying to uncover that so that it’s more convenient for players to make that next step. Maybe we can get there.”

Perhaps more than any other player in recent Golden Bears memory, Ferguson has a skill set that could launch him into a pro career.

Francis certainly believes that his young guard has the ability to make an impact in the professional ranks. He asserts that Ferguson’s impeccable shooting ability is better than many players who are already playing professional basketball overseas.

If teams are willing to invest in his ability and develop his ball handling, Ferguson has a very strong chance of making a roster on a professional team overseas.

For the time being, however, the Vancouver native is embracing the chance that he’s received from the University of Alberta. After a shaky start in the United States, Ferguson is the first to admit that he feels more comfortable playing at the CIS level, where he can develop his skills and share his experiences closer to his family.

“Playing in Canada, it seems more relevant than playing in the States. Even being interviewed for a newspaper; in the States, it would be in the local paper. ‘So what?’ — nobody that I know there is going to read that. If I’m here I can send it to my mom,” Ferguson said.

“Last weekend, my mom got to see me play in a game — she hadn’t seen me play since fifth grade. It just means more. I don’t care if the level is better or worse. I love it.”

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