Fighting Hawks Welcome Angelina College Transfer Daemon Ely

4/23/2026 1:41:00 PM | By: Corey Lichtman, FightingHawks.com

Ely averaged 7.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game across two seasons at Angelina College.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - University of North Dakota men's basketball Head Coach Paul Sather announced the addition of forward/center Daemon Ely on Thursday.

Ely comes to the 701 after spending two seasons at Angelina College (NJCAA Division l) where he earned Region XIV Honorable Mention honors this past season. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
"Daemon is a warrior on the court," said Sather. He is a skilled big that impacts winning in so many ways. Daemon has a great feel for the game and really fits well with how we play on both ends of the floor. His offensive abilities allow him to handle the ball with skill and make plays for his teammates. On defense, he's a tough, aggressive and versatile athlete that plays extremely hard. Hawk Nation will love watching Daemon compete!"

The 6-foot-8 forward/center averaged 7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals per game on 59.1% shooting across 32 games and 28 starts in 2025-26. The big man was a key reason for the Roadrunners holding the No. 2 scoring defense in all of NJCAA Division l, allowing just 58.1 points per game.

The Taos, N.M. native totaled two double-doubles this past season with six 10-plus rebound games and nine 10 or more-point performances. Ely had a 14-point and 15-rebound double-double on Dec. 30 against Baton Rouge Community College.

In 2024-25, Ely averaged 7.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game on 65.4% shooting from the field in 33 games. He was a main catalyst in the Roadrunners run to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA Division l National Tournament and winning 28 games.

An Honorable Mention All-Region selection in 2024-25, Ely recorded four double-doubles with nine double-figure scoring and rebounding games. He had a career-high 23 points along with 12 rebounds on Jan. 18, 2025 against Kilgore College.

Ely recorded at least one block in 34 of his 65 career games, swatting two or more shots 20 different times. He matched a career-high of four blocks on four separate occasions, most recently doing it on Dec. 30 this season against Baton Rouge Community College.

Following his freshman season, Ely was invited to the JUCO All-American Showcase in Atlanta, an event for the top rising sophomores in junior college basketball. He was 1-of-159 players who participated in the showcase.

Prior to Angelina, Ely attended Taos High School where he was a three-sport athlete, earning All-State honors in basketball, baseball and football. He was a quarterback in football and a pitcher/first baseman on the diamond. Below is a full list of his accolades.

Daemon Ely Career Accolades