DeShields leaving UT, going professional

[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?

 

[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]

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]

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.

 

[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!"

 

[Shades]

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.

Delle Donne is up to three: UConn, Chicago Sky, and a Chinese team (lasted all of 5 minutes). People still seem to love her.

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?

Her home team would be Atlanta. Is she a homebody or does she want an easy championship? I wouldn't necessarily brand her at this point. She had tough situations in both UNC (beleaguered school... who didn't leave UNC?) and Tennessee (bad coach), and she had every right to leave for the draft early. She's earned her degree. Basketball will obviously be her profession. She has a similar flowchart to ex-UNC teammate Allisha Gray, who instead branched off into a championship team in SC, and now has moved on to become the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year in the WNBA. There doesn't seem to be a cloud over her head. Kaela Davis has a similar flowchart. GT->SC->WNBA. Davis is in second place for WNBA ROY. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if DeShields' decision at this point was at least partially influenced by the success of Gray and Davis in the WNBA... all very similar types of players. DeShields has been spotted attending WNBA games. I have no clue why DeShields didn't declare for the 2017 draft. Most WNBA enthusiasts were very surprised when she didn't. I think DeShields will be okay at the next level.

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?

Williams needs to show her perimeter abilities as a senior. But yeah, I agree that Williams is a better prospect, but Deshields will be right up there with her.... I'm guessing #5-#6 at this point.

 

[Shades]

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.

McGraw is gonna want a full year of a healthy Turner over a half a year of Turner coming off an ACL. She's gonna be under heavy pressure to redshirt. Vivians? Yikes. Maybe Russell if she has a great year, but that's a big maybe. Those are some nice first round names you've listed on the bottom half of your list, but I don't see them ahead of DeShields.

 

[oldude]

McGraw is gonna want a full year of a healthy Turner over a half a year of Turner coming off an ACL. She's gonna be under heavy pressure to redshirt. Vivians? Yikes. Maybe Russell if she has a great year, but that's a big maybe. Those are some nice first round names you've listed on the bottom half of your list, but I don't see them ahead of DeShields.

No question that DD has 1st round talent, and perhaps top 5, but there is a very real question for any GM if you want the baggage that accompanies that talent.

CajunHusky suggested Nurse, who clearly doesn't have the same physical talent ahead of DD. But if you're a GM concerned with building a team, as well as keeping your job, maybe you consider a great leader, tough defender and NCAA record holder for 3 pointers in the Big Dance ahead of a potential problem.

 

[bizarro aj]

Quitters never prosper!

 

[Go/huskies]

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.

1 Washington was going to a ACC school regardless, she has ties to North Carolina and was really hoping for a ND offer.

2 what's wrong with kids wanting to play together? Isn't Lexi trying to get her best friend Williams on the Uconn team?

3 I've seen diamond on the court clapping and cheering her teammates on, yes she a bit of a ball hong but some of the best players in the world don't always trust there teammates.

4 oh no according to you Megan Walker isn't a good person?

5 there's 2 sides to ever story. I'm sure teammates don't always get along.

6 I got nothing.