DeShields leaving UT, going professional

[UConnNick]

Wow! Rereading this announcement, it is seething with barely concealed anger and resentment from Holly. " Diamond DeShields is no longer with the program." That is the sort of statement that a coach makes when a player has been kicked off the team, or has engaged in some sort of behavior that is detrimental to the team.

And after stating that DD "now has a chance to play professionally," Warlick goes on to praise the "commitment" of her returnees and incoming freshmen. That sounds like an indirect slap at DeShields, implying that she is not, and was not, "committed" to UT.

No nice words, not words of thanks, no best wishes. This is a rushed and sullen announcement that reeks of anger and a "good riddance" attitude by Warlick.

Something big must have happened recently to make this happen. A kid with hopes of a pro career doesn't blow off the pro draft, then in the middle of summer decide to go pro. Weird and inexplicable from the announcement. Wonder what happened....

Can't she go play somewhere overseas this fall/winter? I don't see it as any big deal that she announces it now, except for missing the WNBA draft. She obviously changed her mind. It happens.

 

[Bayareahusky]

I am very surprised by this but not sure why I expected anything other drama from DD. I am a huge fan but personally I am SO SICK of these college kids having ZERO loyalty to a program and their teammates. Not only did she have a very mediocre career, but now she will forever be known as the player who gave up on 2 schools, never made the FF, never won a major award, nor was even drafted. Put me in the group that says TN needs a fresh start from the DD/Cooper drama. And it really burns me up that she posted a long post a couple of months ago saying she wanted to mentor the freshman. BYE DIAMOND. your words mean nothing. Next.

LV9 Love having you on the board.... you see things pretty clearly.... last few years in the CHW era I have actually felt badly for the individuals (players).... they deserve a competent person at the helm.... tough but fair demanding but compassionate.... Tho a tru (national flag) blue fan, i am rooting that success in Knoxville will return..... Vic S is doing a good building job at MS, and Dawn is starting to run with her success... don't let them get too far!!! I wish for the best, especially for you, tennparker, and the other good basketball fans who write here.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Trying to be as objective as possible:

At the time of her recruitment, Pat was dealing with the Alzheimer's issue and that may have caused DD to take a serious pause. So what does she do? Becomes instrumental in assembling one terrific freshman class at UNC - her, Mavunga, Gray, and Washington. Then she promptly bails on her teammates after 1 year, leaving them flying in the wind. Ultimately all of them left UNC, but she went to Tennessee, where supposedly her heart always was.

Almost immediately after her decision to transfer to Tenn, Cooper announces she's going there - a top 20 kid who many Tenn fans thought was a top 5 kid, and was great friends with DD.

She has flashes of brilliance while at Tenn, punctuated by lazy and disinterested play on the court. Her attitude and demeanor was not one of a hard working kid trying to do her best, but rather a surly, spoiled kid who could play any damn way she choose since the coaches would never hold her accountable. I think it was mostly that attitude over the past 2 years that helped cause people to sour even more on her. Add to it a WAY overly involved father who publicly called out Holly on twitter after a loss saying something like "of course you are going to lose when you don't put your best player in the game".

LVol fans who claimed to "know" the real DD said she was a wonderful person. I don't know about that. Breanna Stewart, twice the player DD was in college, signed her LOI on the hood of her car. She's a sweetheart to her core. THAT is a wonderful person and UConn is chock full of kids like that.

Anyway flash forward to this year and Cooper, the PG of the future, leaves the team apparently after instigating a fight with Jaime Nared.

Meanwhile, instead of choosing to leave and enter the draft, DD publicly comes out saying she's committed to her senior year and decides to stay in college (also says she wants to mentor the great freshman class Holly recruited). Not 2 months later, she chooses to leave school for a "professional career". Where - on Mars? She can't enter the WNBA now but I suppose she could go play in China or Turkey or some other country after the WNBA season is up... If that was ALL she did, it might not make so many people turn on her, but she has a history of being a selfish person and player as evidenced by all her actions over the years. If I had to guess, I'd say that's mostly why people aren't sympathetic to her.

As usual you are bang on here..... Good synopsis.....

I try to understand the situation there at TBA and for the most part I think I do, albeit in the form of opinion......

The one thing I cannot figure out is the thing with Cooper..... yes she had a fight yes teammates were there.... yes it was filmed,..... and yes it was passed to admin peeps who acted.....

But do you get booted for merely a fight.....?? I am sure there is a back story filled with past indiscretions..... it can't be just the fight

 

[Bayareahusky]

I'm thinking the happiest person in Knoxville is Jaime Nared. She was always our best player but played second fiddle to the DD show

Have always loved Nared.... she brings it every night and just seems to be an exemplary player..... very easy player to like....

this year she has to put her leadership shorts on

 

[Bayareahusky]

At the risk of posting too much here..... I do not see Margo's response..... can someone please post it here.... I do not have Facebook Thanks everyone

 

[LadyVols9]

LV9 Love having you on the board.... you see things pretty clearly.... last few years in the CHW era I have actually felt badly for the individuals (players).... they deserve a competent person at the helm.... tough but fair demanding but compassionate.... Tho a tru (national flag) blue fan, i am rooting that success in Knoxville will return..... Vic S is doing a good building job at MS, and Dawn is starting to run with her success... don't let them get too far!!! I wish for the best, especially for you, tennparker, and the other good basketball fans who write here.

Thanks bud. I like being on the board with fellow posters like yourself. LV fans can be loyal and honest at the same time. I try to do that, as best I can with this orange blood running through me. Ha. This whole drama with DD was only going to make next year even harder. I said before both her and MR made a decision that MR staying at TN was far more important than DD. Now, the young players will not have to deal with the nonsense. By the way, here is Margo's video:



Have a good rest of the night.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Thanks bud. I like being on the board with fellow posters like yourself. LV fans can be loyal and honest at the same time. I try to do that, as best I can with this orange blood running through me. Ha. This whole drama with DD was only going to make next year even harder. I said before both her and MR made a decision that MR staying at TN was far more important than DD. Now, the young players will not have to deal with the nonsense. By the way, here is Margo's video:



Have a good rest of the night.

Oh LV9 I KNEW you would come to my rescue!!! I love Margo..... even tho i do not agree all the time..... she has passion like few other fans have.... and she always entertains.....

Thank you again LV9.... there will be a little bit extra in your paycheck next week.

 

[WestCoastPup]

But do you get booted for merely a fight.....?? I am sure there is a back story filled with past indiscretions..... it can't be just the fight

The VolNation site has a 30+ page thread on the cooper xfer. it's stated from several sources that this fight (for Te'a) was NOT the first incident. Some state the behavior / poor decision making dates by 2 years.
Nonetheless, there is a general consensus that the fight was simply the final straw, not the first or only one...

 

[MSSportsGuy]

As a UT supporter and fan of the game overall, this hurts. It hurts terribly. DeShields had her own issues and a personality to manage but she is talented. This comes at a bad time for the program and these freshmen better be as good as advertised or UT could be in danger of not making the tournament. I don't think everything the last two years has been about her soap opera like some people. I do think she needed more old school coaching than she received at UNC or UT. Both places weren't good fits for a variety of reasons. I hope she is a successful pro and that UT can pull it together quickly. Nared and Russell are back, but honestly give the freshmen this team and make it theirs.

 

[cferraro04]

I just love me some Margo...certainly a fan who can always find the silver lining. The Lady Vols biggest problem the past couple of few years has been their chemistry. Maybe this "out with the old and in with the new" may be the answer. They sure picked a tough year to find out. With South Carolina coming off their championship year with probably the best center in the NCAA and UConn fielding its deepest, most talented team possibly ever...this is going to be a "baptism by fire".

 

[Bayareahusky]

The VolNation site has a 30+ page thread on the cooper xfer. it's stated from several sources that this fight (for Te'a) was NOT the first incident. Some state the behavior / poor decision making dates by 2 years.
Nonetheless, there is a general consensus that the fight was simply the final straw, not the first or only one...

Yes thank you WCP.... I get on VolNation.... and see the writings..... but nothing seems specific.... many say what you say as well.... not the first time etc..... I just have to accept that she was a bad seed with a sheet of violations..... and hope she finds her way at South Carolina

 

[bballnut90]

As a UT supporter and fan of the game overall, this hurts. It hurts terribly. DeShields had her own issues and a personality to manage but she is talented. This comes at a bad time for the program and these freshmen better be as good as advertised or UT could be in danger of not making the tournament. I don't think everything the last two years has been about her soap opera like some people. I do think she needed more old school coaching than she received at UNC or UT. Both places weren't good fits for a variety of reasons. I hope she is a successful pro and that UT can pull it together quickly. Nared and Russell are back, but honestly give the freshmen this team and make it theirs.

As a fan of the game it stinks that a player of her talent and caliber hasn't panned out as expected and we have never been able to see her play to her full potential. For Tennessee, I think this is a blessing in disguise. The roster is thin, but if I'm on that team and I'm now hearing, "Tennessee isn't going to be good this year without Diamond", that'll motivate the heck of me as an underdog compared to, "is this finally the year Tennessee gets back to the Final Four?" I would not be surprised to see many players breakthrough and have big years for the LVs.

Or the flip side is that they will have an abysmal season and Holly might finally be out. I'm rooting for the former rather than the latter, but if the team doesn't make huge strides next year, I hope we have a new coach in 2018-19. The worst would be another mediocre finish that is just enough to give Holly a few more years to "work her magic."

 

[Wbbfan1]

Margo:

 

[CocoHusky]

They didnt really underachieve that season... if the regional final was anywhere other than Stanford's home court.... they most likely would have made the final 4. Not that I was complaining

They also took out #1 "lower" Carolina.

 

[CL82]

I just love me some Margo...certainly a fan who can always find the silver lining. The Lady Vols biggest problem the past couple of few years has been their chemistry. Maybe this "out with the old and in with the new" may be the answer. They sure picked a tough year to find out. With South Carolina coming off their championship year with probably the best center in the NCAA and UConn fielding its deepest, most talented team possibly ever...this is going to be a "baptism by fire".

Margo: "Everybody's not the best fit. It don't mean nothing if you got the best talent if it's not a good fit."

The LV's need to make her their lead recruiter. She gets what they are missing.

 

[huskeynut]

WOW - was not online for most of yesterday. I'm surprised but yet not surprised, if you know what I mean.

For Tennessee I think this is good in the long run. As talented as Diamond is, I won't deny that, she has been very inconsistent in her play.

My big question is why now? The WNBA draft is done. She can't play this season in the WNBA. I think, but I'm not sure, that she will have to be drafted in 2018 to play. If so, she has no chance of being the #1 pick. I don't think, with her history, she woud even be a first round pick.

None of this makes any sense. Who has been advising her?

 

[CajunHusky]

A little thought keeps nagging me about this story .....

As a recent graduate then DD can still "transfer" and not sit out a year...... the NCAA may not have seen the last of DD.

 

[oldude]

As someone who has criticized DD previously and views her decision to leave TN as an immature act of a troubled young lady, I have to say that I feel bad for DD.

Her decision tags her with a resume that will follow her for the rest of her life, as a player who quit on her team, not once but twice. I can't imagine that her future teammates overseas or in the WNBA will be particularly thrilled at the prospect of playing with her. What event will lead DD to quit on them?

DD has always had an eye towards marketing herself once her college days were over. With this decision her "brand" has taken a severe hit.

It will be interesting to see where DD ends up going in next spring's WNBA draft. Teams may well view her as poison. Any GM or HC that considers drafting DD will have to seriously consider her potential negative impact on the team and fan base. Consider two players with similar athletic ability, DD or Gabby Williams. Who would you rather have on your team?

In all of this I continue to wonder about the adults who may have failed DD. A number of coaches allowed her to get away with playing "me-ball" because she had so much talent. Her father's influence has always been questionable. Perhaps there were others.

In the end, DD will have to own her decisions and live with their consequences.

 

[huskeynut]

A little thought keeps nagging me about this story .....

As a recent graduate then DD can still "transfer" and not sit out a year. the NCAA may not have seen the last of DD.

Now this is a very interesting perspective. Guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[VFLfan]

Now this is a very interesting perspective. Guess we will have to wait and see.

She's headed to UCONN...y'all have fun. I kid...I kid...

 

[oldude]

She's headed to UConn...y'all have fun. I kid...I kid...

Now more than ever, there is the truly perverse fantasy of BY'ers to pair DD with Geno for a practice or two.

 

[calpedaler]

Now more than ever, there is the truly perverse fantasy of BY'ers to pair DD with Geno for a practice or two.

She probably would be gone faster than you can say Delle Donne.

 

[Shades]

I don't think, with her history, she would even be a first round pick.

Let's not get carried away here. I have her around #5 even with the quality of the next draft. If she's an instant star overseas, maybe that bumps up a titch.

 

[Shades]

A little thought keeps nagging me about this story .....

As a recent graduate then DD can still "transfer" and not sit out a year. the NCAA may not have seen the last of DD.

If she has officially renounced her remaining NCAA eligibility. I'm not sure she can take it back. I haven't read much on what's going on, but if she's decided to go pro overseas, it sounds like she already has an agent.

 

[huskeynut]

Let's not get carried away here. I have her around #5 even with the quality of the next draft. If she's an instant star overseas, maybe that bumps up a titch.

I understand your point and I agree she has talent. I'm not sure a GM or coach will want to gamble a first round pick on her unpredictability. Her college career is a history of inconsistency. I don't see her being an instant star overseas. I guess we have to agree to disagree.

 

[TRest]

If she has officially renounced her remaining NCAA eligibility. I'm not sure she can take it back. I haven't read much on what's going on, but if she's decided to go pro overseas, it sounds like she already has an agent.

I believe she can play at another school only by enrolling in a graduate program not available at UT. So I doubt it.

 

[oldude]

Let's not get carried away here. I have her around #5 even with the quality of the next draft. If she's an instant star overseas, maybe that bumps up a titch.

I don't know. Just off the top of my head I have Wilson, Gabby, Mitchell, Turner (if healthy), Canada, Billings and possibly Vivians, Russell & Nared going ahead of DD. I'm sure I've left out others.

 

[CajunHusky]

... it sounds like she already has an agent.

good point; I think if she even so much as talked to an agent she has lost eligibility.

 

[CajunHusky]

I don't know. Just off the top of my head I have Wilson, Gabby, Mitchell, Turner (if healthy), Canada, Billings and possibly Vivians, Russell & Nared going ahead of DD. I'm sure I've left out others.

I would take Nurse ahead of DD as well.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

There were rumblings last spring that would motivated DD not to go to the WNBA draft this year was the lukewarm at best results of her representatives polling WNBA teams. Entirely credible given her erratic play, sloppiness with the ball and on court pouting. Oh, did I mention she's not an AA? Couple that with her potential poison in the locker room and I ask you? Would you as a WNBA coach/GM be saying : "hell yes, sign me up for some of this!"