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Day'Neshia Banks 2019-20
Steve Simoneau

Women's Basketball Athletic Communications

Day'Neshia Banks Draws Inspiration from Family

STETSON (7-9, 1-2 ASUN) at JACKSONVILLE (9-7, 1-2 ASUN)
Saturday, Jan. 18 • 1:00 p.m. • Jacksonville, Fla. • Swisher Gym

GAME LINKS:
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Twitter @StetsonWBB | HatCheck | Notes (PDF)

As a youngster growing up in Jacksonville, Day'Neshia Banks was very close to grandmother, Emma Ross.  In fact, she and her Granny were best friends.  They would laugh, talk and watch TV together, and of course, there was plenty of spoiling going on.  So when Emma passed away when Banks was only six, she decided to get involved in sports.

"I think her passing really motivated me to do something and get it off my mind, so I started playing basketball," Banks said.

She joined a local PAL team, later moved up to Showtime Girls Basketball and then Essence Girls Basketball, a Nike Elite Youth team.  Her skills quickly improved, as did her ability to play multiple positions.  

"I started off just playing a wing, but then I realized I was getting stronger and able to do post moves," Banks said.  "I think in middle school they started putting me more on the post. From there I just started playing outside in, and then it just became part of my game at that point."

Her talent blossomed in high school where she was a key member of three championship teams at Jean Ribault in Jacksonville.  After coming off the bench as a freshman, Banks was thrust into both a starting and a leadership position after several seniors graduated from the team.

"I had to step into a role that I was kind of uncomfortable with because I'm not really a talker," Banks said.  "But my coach, Coach Sheila, she really pushed me to get in that role of talking.  Junior year, I finally got comfortable learning a lot of the plays, so that's when everything came easy to me.  Senior year, we were just on a roll."

Three of her four seasons resulted in state championships for Ribault - a 4A title in 2014, a 5A title in 2016 and a 6A title in 2017.  The 2016 title came with an even sweeter ending as Ribault was selected as one of four teams to compete at the Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals in New York City.  

"It was a lot of fun and a really good experience," Banks recalled of the trip to New York.  "I remember they had a Gatorade station where we could make our own bottles with our own teams."

DICK_S BASKETBALL_10203.JPG S BKO, BKH USA NYRibault won the semifinal game vs. Seton Catholic (AZ) at Christ the King High School, and then went on to defeat Riverdale Baptist (MD) in the high school national championship game at Madison Square Garden.  Naturally, Banks netted a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the championship game victory.

"It was pretty fun playing at Madison Square Garden," Banks said.  "It made me feel like I was a pro, playing on the New York Knicks court."

Senior year brought Banks another state title, a first team All-State selection and a McDonald's All-America Nominee honor.  She signed with Ole Miss but after just one semester at the SEC school, she decided to move back closer to her family.  Banks made a visit to the Stetson campus and immediately felt right at home.

However, transferring midseason required Banks to sit out the 2018 spring and fall semesters.  For someone who had been playing ball ever since she was six, Banks found the break from competition to be a challenge.

"It was pretty hard for me because I was just watching everyone playing," Banks said.  "You could do some of the things that everyone was doing to help the team out, but I took it as a learning experience.  It was a chance for me to learn a lot of the plays and to get to know everyone. A chance to get to know the style of the game with Coach Bria."

That preparation allowed Banks to hit the ground running when she became eligible in December of 2018 - on her 20th birthday to be exact.  She scored 14 points in her Hatter debut at #12 Texas, and went on to earn ASUN First Team All-Conference and Newcomer of the Year honors.  As a junior, her numbers this season have been even better - an average of 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds through the first 16 games of the season.  Her eight double-doubles lead the ASUN and rank her 16th in the NCAA.

"I couldn't play my freshman year as much as I wanted to, so when I did get the chance, I just started playing every game like it was my last game on the court," Banks said.

Banks says she thrives off the competitiveness of the games.  When she gets double or triple-teamed, which is becoming more and more frequent, she just either finds a way to the basket or finds an open teammate.  How many points she scores is not a concern for her.  Ultimately, she just wants to win games.  

"I really hate losing," Banks said. "It doesn't matter how we win.  I could score one point, get one rebound, and I'll be happy with it.  Packing my stat sheet doesn't matter to me.  I try to do anything I can to help my teammates win. If that means cheering from the bench, I'm there for it. If that means just getting rebounds, I'm there for it. Just give us the W."

Affectionately known as "Day Day" (a nickname her grandfather gave her at birth), Banks will be returning to her hometown Saturday when the Hatters visit the Jacksonville Dolphins.  Tip-off at Swisher Gym is set for 1 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN+.

The games in her hometown are always a bit more special.

"It means a lot because there is family that can't make my away games or come down here (to Stetson) to watch me play," Banks said.  "So just going up there, they get a chance to actually watch me play. Some of them haven't seen me play since I was little.

"My dad talks about it all the time when he hears that I'm playing in Jacksonville. He gets a jersey made almost every game and puts my number and name on the back of it. He just calls me and blows up my phone all the time."

Banks' mom will also be attendance, but that comes as no surprise.  Jenerica will do whatever she can to be in attendance when her daughter is playing, both at home and on the road.

"Even when she is sick or tired, my mom always finds a way to come to my games, and that just means so much to me," Banks said.  "Every game day she sends me a prayer and a pep talk. When I'm playing poorly, I just look at my mom and she helps me get back in my groove."

And Banks has another family member watching over her every time she plays.  She has a tattoo of "Emma" on her right arm that she kisses before each game to remind her of that special bond with her Granny from so many years ago.  Granny certainly couldn't be more proud. 

The All-Time Series
Stetson leads the all-time series 28-16 over Jacksonville. The Hatters have won 16 of the last 19 head-to-head
meetings, including a sweep last season.  Stetson leads the series 11-9 at Swisher Gym.

Rebounding Machine
The Hatters currently lead the ASUN in rebounding (41.8) and rebounding margin (+6.3), totals that rank 49th overall in the NCAA.  Stetson has topped the 40-rebound mark as a team nine times this season, something the team did just four times last season. 

Up Next
Stetson travel to Florence, Ala. to face North Alabama at 7 p.m. ET Monday night.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.
 
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Players Mentioned

Day

#00 Day'Neshia Banks

F
5' 10"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Day

#00 Day'Neshia Banks

5' 10"
Junior
F