Polk State freshman guard and former Winter Haven player Eric Dailey had everyone’s support all year, which materialized into the All-American JUCO Showcase selection in Atlanta over the weekend.
And it was all because of his coaches and teammates preaching to him he was the best player on the team, which also meant he had to lead by example. Both things can be true, as Dailey went on to average 17.1 points and 3.4 rebounds.
“It feels great to represent Winter Haven. I’ve been with them since I was in elementary so I’m grateful to have been a part of an amazing program and I will always have love for coach (head boys basketball coach Tyrone) Woodside and Winter Haven,” Dailey said.
Winter Haven is where it all started for Dailey.
His basketball journey embarked in fifth grade at John Snively Elementary, playing in a local league at the time called Hoops Haven, which was organized by his former high school coach Woodside. Then in middle school he played AAU for only his sixth-grade year due to a leg injury before attending Winter Haven — a place he could’ve left and went to another high school where there weren’t as many talented players. But he opted to stay and learn from those guys while also growing his game.
Still, it was a learning process in his high school career as opposed to hitting the ground running. Even in the height of Dailey’s high school tenure, he learned from a lot of seminal players — including The Ledger’s 2024 Player of the Year Isaac Celiscar — which helped Winter Haven go on a 27-game winning streak in 2024. Dailey was The Ledger’s 2024 All-County Honorable Mention.
“And it really has helped me in the long run, playing against better players and when I got to college, I just wanted to prove that I could be the best player on a team and in my training. I just worked on mastering the simple things first then add a little flare to my game,” Dailey said.
When it comes to the basics and leadership of the game, Dailey attributes this knowledge to Winter Haven, helping him learn how to play the game the right way and leading camps, gleaning information from older folks.
When he chose to take his talents to Polk State in 2025, former Polk State head coach Brandon Giles assisted Dailey in developing as a person through all that adversity, challenging his player in becoming this breakout competitor everyone is just now noticing, which led to the invitational selection in Atlanta over the weekend, though he didn’t play in it due to sickness.
What’s next for Dailey is clear: He intends on going to a Division I college next year, dominate college basketball and keep growing as a man. His lifelong objective is to make it to the NBA to take care of his family, also crediting his high school trainers and AAU coaches for his success on and off the court.
“Moving players on to four-year institutions is one of the primary goals of our program…,” Polk State head men’s basketball coach Marreese Speights previously said.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: How Winter Haven’s Eric Dailey became Polk State basketball’s top star
Reporting by Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
