Aquira DeCosta transferring from Baylor

[willtalk]

I don’t think she’ll have her pick of places. My understanding her not fitting at Baylor has more to do with her than anything else. Prime example of a girl made into a star too early. If you can’t have discipline, work hard, and be a good teammate then you will struggle at the top 5-10 programs. You could see this unfolding with her before she committed to Baylor. She would never have survived one season at UConn, and Geno knew that. They passed on her for a reason and now you see it unfolding.

Did not see your initial post or I certainly would have responded earlier.

I see that you just joined the Boneyard in June and are keeping your personal profile secret. Your post implies that you have inside information on the Aquira transfer situation. You might convince some people who have little to no information on this subject, but I know different. It is one thing to give a personal perspective on a player's abilities, but another to attack their effort and character as a teammate. If you are going to make such allegations against a player on a public forum, you need to at least qualify your accusations.

It is relatively easy to make statements because it is difficult to disprove a negative. None of your assertions have ever been brought up on the Baylor forum. I do know for a fact that no one could ever question Aquiras work ethic. Every coach she has had throughout AAU and high school will attest to that. Your post implies that she never had that coming into Baylor. You do not develop the skills she has being lazy. Remember she represented the USA 3X3 team in the Worlds skill competition finishing 3rd. That was the same team that Williams and another McD AA guard were on, yet they picked DeCosta.

Her leaving was a surprise and I have given my perspective based on what I know about her and her long term plans. She needs as much playing time as possible on the perimeter and it would be difficult to get that at Baylor right now. She would also be hesitant about getting on another team that had guards already in place. Her future is as a two not a wing. She is most effective off the dribble in space.

Nice try bringing Geno into the conversation to promote your own hidden agenda. I believe I know why he did not recruit her, but it has nothing to do with the ones you give in your post. Geno didn't recruit a lot of players that still possessed the intangibles that he usually looks for. And he is also not infallible having his own made mistakes throughout the years. Stevens being the most recent.

There have certainly been players who have exhibited some of the negative traits that you attributed to DeCosta. Yet the have shown obvious examples of those throughout their careers. You make these allegations without any history or signs, rather based purely on your own personal perspectives. This is why I question your agenda and your motivations. Everyone on the sites I post on knows I am from Nor Cal and have some insight into the players that come from the area. That would include their histories along with eyeball observations. What gives you the insight that would allow you to make the statements you make. Which implies inside information.

I would suggest that your perspective loses much value due to your lack of forum history. Add the red flags of not knowing about DeCosta's work ethic and it reeks of some sort of agenda-driven motivation behind your post. My agenda is that I know of her character and work ethic and because of that chose to defend her against someone who posts what I know to be an untruth. If you are going to post what you do then don't hide behind an anonymous identity. Yes, I am accusing you, but unlike Aquira you can defend your self with a response.

Oh1 I also challenge you to go on the Baylor site and post what you posted here and see what sort of response you will get.

 

[Lwrc]

Did not see your initial post or I certainly would have responded earlier.

I see that you just joined the Boneyard in June and are keeping your personal profile secret. Your post implies that you have inside information on the Aquira transfer situation. You might convince some people who have little to no information on this subject, but I know different. It is one thing to give a personal perspective on a player's abilities, but another to attack their effort and character as a teammate. If you are going to make such allegations against a player on a public forum, you need to at least qualify your accusations.

It is relatively easy to make statements because it is difficult to disprove a negative. None of your assertions have ever been brought up on the Baylor forum. I do know for a fact that no one could ever question Aquiras work ethic. Every coach she has had throughout AAU and high school will attest to that. Your post implies that she never had that coming into Baylor. You do not develop the skills she has being lazy. Remember she represented the USA 3X3 team in the Worlds skill competition finishing 3rd. That was the same team that Williams and another McD AA guard were on, yet they picked DeCosta.

Her leaving was a surprise and I have given my perspective based on what I know about her and her long term plans. She needs as much playing time as possible on the perimeter and it would be difficult to get that at Baylor right now. She would also be hesitant about getting on another team that had guards already in place. Her future is as a two not a wing. She is most effective off the dribble in space.

Nice try bringing Geno into the conversation to promote your own hidden agenda. I believe I know why he did not recruit her, but it has nothing to do with the ones you give in your post. Geno didn't recruit a lot of players that still possessed the intangibles that he usually looks for. And he is also not infallible having his own made mistakes throughout the years. Stevens being the most recent.

There have certainly been players who have exhibited some of the negative traits that you attributed to DeCosta. Yet the have shown obvious examples of those throughout their careers. You make these allegations without any history or signs, rather based purely on your own personal perspectives. This is why I question your agenda and your motivations. Everyone on the sites I post on knows I am from Nor Cal and have some insight into the players that come from the area. That would include their histories along with eyeball observations. What gives you the insight that would allow you to make the statements you make. Which implies inside information.

I would suggest that your perspective loses much value due to your lack of forum history. Add the red flags of not knowing about DeCosta's work ethic and it reeks of some sort of agenda-driven motivation behind your post. My agenda is that I know of her character and work ethic and because of that chose to defend her against someone who posts what I know to be an untruth. If you are going to post what you do then don't hide behind an anonymous identity. Yes, I am accusing you, but unlike Aquira you can defend your self with a response.

Oh1 I also challenge you to go on the Baylor site and post what you posted here and see what sort of response you will get.

Man. That’s a lot. Where to start.

First, the amount of time I’ve been on BY and my anonymity have nothing to do with the credibility of my statements. That argument is only shows foolishness in your counter argument. Your attacking me when I could very well be an assistant coach at Baylor. The whole point of these forums is discussion with anonymity. You say your whoever, from wherever but no one really knows so that’s just silliness.

Second. When sharing a strong statement or opinion on a public forum without “qualifying my accusations” I do not have to justify or prove my statements or opinions. Or did I miss that in the BY bylaws?

Third. I have heard several first hand stories over the past two years about Aquira at Baylor. None of which I have shared or “gossiped” about.

This information plus the following facts form my opinion.

Despite your opinion that there’s no room at Baylor for DeCosta to play the 2, I see the opposite. And I think many others do too including Coach Mulkey who tried to sell Hailey Van Lith on playing alongside Andrews in the backcourt.

Early signs. Aquira came in very highly ranked and the expectations were unrealistic compared to the player I watched when she was in high school. There were personality signs then that lead to concerns that she might just try to rely on her talent to make it in college.

For the top teams in the country hard work and good character is almost essential to survive. So in Decostas case her lack of playing time and lack of future at Baylor point towards her not doing those things. Your point that players “do not get where they are” without hard work I believe is false (until higher level of college). For sure players can get by on talent and minimal work high school. And name one high school or AAU coach that said publicly of their kid “yeah she’s really talented but just doesn’t work hard”

Aquiras final destination affirms my opinion. If she was a player with high character and work ethic with her talent she would have had a line of top colleges begging for her services. When Westbrook leaves TN she ends up at UConn and had many options. When Aquira left Baylor she ended up at LMU.

I am guessing you are personally involved or connected since you know “first hand” of her work ethic. So I apologize if I offended you, that was not my intention. The stories I have heard combined with the many facts I listed out for you have turned what I believe to be a solid opinion. You may have a different opinion and that’s what makes these forums work. I don’t know Aquira personally so I may be wrong, but given all the facts I listed I would think it’s not upon me to prove anything more. You “oh yeah well who are you to say something” argument has little merit since this is a forum. If you have facts to prove otherwise I’m glad to consider them. But your personal opinion of her work ethic doesn’t carry a ton of weight given all the facts I’ve listed.