"Everything He Said Was Everything He Did": Daniel Banjoko on Committing to WCPA, Leaving London, and Chasing the NBA

When WCPA head coach Sunny Sooch told The Maple Minute directly that Daniel Banjoko is the best prospect he's had at the program since Hudson Ward — who went on to Penn State from WCPA — it wasn't a throwaway line. It was a statement about where he believes this 6'7" wing out of London, England is headed.

Banjoko's résumé already backs it up. Over the last 18 months he's averaged 16.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 steals a game at City of London Academy, won Defensive Player of the Year, taken home National League Finals MVP after a 20-point, 6-rebound, 6-steal outburst in the final, captained Great Britain's U16 national team, and competed in the adidas NextGen EuroLeague Tournament with London Lions Youth — Europe's highest level of U18 club basketball.

But numbers only tell part of the story. The Maple Minute caught up with Banjoko to hear the rest of it, in his own words — why WCPA, what it's like leaving London behind, and what's actually driving him.

Why WCPA

What made WCPA stand out over every other program recruiting you, and what did that conversation with Coach Sooch feel like?

"The thing that made WCPA stand out the most was definitely their heavy emphasis on actual developing players skill wise and the amount of resources accessible to me 24/7 allowing me to work on myself everyday in order to improve. This was the selling point as coming from the UK where there's limited access to courts, this really got me excited about starting my journey here at WCPA. The conversation with Coach Sunny felt great as he was very keen on getting me over which made me feel wanted, and everything he said was everything he did which allowed me to build trust within him."

For a prospect coming out of a UK system where court access is often the biggest bottleneck to development, WCPA's round-the-clock resources weren't just a nice-to-have — they were the deciding factor.

Leaving London Behind

You're going from London to Edmonton — different continent, different weather, different pace of life entirely. What part of that transition are you most confident about, and what part genuinely worries you?

"I'm pretty confident in how adaptable I am to the Canadian lifestyle and the style of basketball played here too. It helps that I already know a few people here personally, so I'm not starting from zero. The bit that worries me the most in my opinion is the cold and the snow. London winters are nothing like what Edmonton gets, so that's going to be a real adjustment for me. I'll also miss the pace and energy of London, the culture and just how busy everything feels. However, I'm looking forward to the next step in my Education and Basketball, and I'm excited to see what this new season has in store for me."

It's a candid answer — the basketball adjustment doesn't scare him nearly as much as an Edmonton winter does, and that kind of honesty says a lot about a 17-year-old walking into this with his eyes open.

Translating the Game

You've dominated at the youth level in the UK and on the EuroLeague NextGen stage — 16.3 PPG, 6.8 boards, 5 steals a night. What part of your game do you think translates immediately to North American basketball, and what part do you expect to get exposed or challenged the most?

"My athleticism and my length on defence can all directly translate over to the North American basketball system, those are the things that let me disrupt, get steals and rebound at a high level. I feel confident those tools will still work over here as they are something I've worked on countless times. The part I expect to get challenged most is the offensive side, especially becoming a more consistent shooter and creator against stronger and more physical players. In the UK I could score in volume, but this is a different level so I'll need to keep working on my skills."

That's a mature evaluation for a prospect this young — he's not selling himself as a finished product, he's identifying exactly where the jump in competition is going to test him most.

The Why

You could point to the stats, the awards, the National League Final MVP — but what's actually driving you? What are you trying to prove, and to who?

"What's really driving me is my family and friends back home, especially wanting to show my parents that all their hard work to let me play the sport I love didn't go to waste. I also want to prove to the people who never believed in me that I'm more than just an average player and that I can compete with the best. That's what keeps me going every day."

The Vision

Fast forward five years — what does success look like for you? Not just basketball-wise, but as a person who left home at 17 to chase this. What do you want people to be able to say about Daniel Banjoko by then?

"Five years from now, I hope I've had a successful four year NCAA journey and put myself in a position to reach the NBA. But success to me is more than basketball. I want to be financially stable enough to support my family and look after the people I love without thinking twice about it. Leaving home at 17 has taught me a lot about being independent and how tough life can get especially when you're away from your family and physically not under the care of your parents. However, in 5 years time I just want people to know me as someone who stayed humble, worked hard, was resilient, and never gave up on the process."

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Between the production, the pedigree and the perspective he showed in this conversation, it's easy to see why Sooch is willing to put Banjoko in the same breath as a Division I alum before he's even played a game for WCPA. The talent got him in the door. The mindset is what makes the comparison to Hudson Ward feel earned.