Diamond DeShields last 3 games

[bballnut90]

@ #3 Duke (Win): 30 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 12-20 shooting, 5-11 from 3, 2 blocks
vs. Pitt (Win): 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 9-18 shooting
@ #10 NC State: 38 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 TO, 2 steals, 12-23 FG, 5-9 3pt

Pretty remarkable 3 game streak for a freshman. Also worth noting, in the game prior she had 22 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists. Interesting to see if she'll keep up the high level of play the rest of the season.

 

[Vowelguy]

Freshman of the year for sure.

UNC is a high-variance team, which is exactly what you don't want to face in the NCAAs. They could lose in the 2nd round, or if the draw falls right and DD goes off, they could make the final 4.

 

[Vowelguy]

{cue the posts about how she's a prima donna, never would last at UConn, etc}

 

[rvwsleep]

{cue the posts about how she's a prima donna, never would last at UConn, etc}

Allow me to be the first. She is an incredible talent, no doubt. But I can't get this image of her from last nights game out of my mind. She was posting a smaller player down low and her teammates wouldn't pass the ball to her. So, she put her hands on her hips and slowly walked toward her bench with her head down, totally ignoring her teammates who still had the ball and were trying to score. What Diamond didn't see was that when she was posting up the smaller player, the center on NC St. was only a few feet away, ready to double team DeShields if she wasn't able to steal the entry pass outright. They even ran a replay of the events on the live broadcast.
I would still take her on my team but you can't ignore the baggage that she brings with her. If she was on UConn, either she would have to change her attitude or she would be playing for someone else.

 

[DobbsRover2]

It has been a very nice stretch, and now that DeShields is getting 20+ shots in recent games it also appears to be helping her accuracy, getting her season's average up to almost 45%.

You can feel free to play the what-if game (her presence at UConn), but there would likely be a few critical threads on the BY about a UConn starter if she was averaging 3+ TOs a game at an 0.8 A/TO and jacking 4.5 three-pointers a game at a 30% rate. Who would have thunk it that MoJeff would be about 6% better on the threes at this point? Likely DeShields would have been a marvel at UConn if we wanted to diddle the what-ifs.

She's showing huge promise as a freshman and what her stats would have been as a Husky are a complete unknown, but when you set up the straw man of whether or not she could play for UConn, it might be good to give some respect to those who try to look at the complete set of stats, which for a freshman with huge potential are still mixed. And for some players, freshman season are the best they'll ever have.

 

[bbsamjj]

Are you thinking of any players in particular who have their best seasons as freshman? Why is there any reason to think Diamond won't get better?

I noticed that play she got annoyed on the offensive end, and thought it was completely selfish and immature. However, I have not noticed her taking plays off on the defensive end, which freshman sometimes need to be taught NOT to do. In fact, she leads her team in steals.

Of course, she needs to improve her A/TO ratio--most freshman do. She does have the third most assists on the team, but she also has the most turnovers. Having not seen her play enough, I wonder if she is sending errant passes, or trying to do too much and getting called for offensive fouls. Likely a combo of both.

 

[ScarlettB]

I think she is terrific and barring injuries, she will only get better. She has a bit of an attitude, but she plays with passion and I would take her on my team any day of the week. Ivory Latta had an attitude too and she is one of her coaches, so I take that into consideration when observing how Diamond acts.

 

[msf22b]

Ivory Latta is taking their young guards under her wing and making a team.
She'll be a head coach before long

 

[TheTruthBelow]

Latta has always been regarded as a great teammate. DD's attitude is reminiscent of Angel McCoughtry's.

 

[TheTruthBelow]

{cue the posts about how she's a prima donna, never would last at UConn, etc}

How she wouldn't develop at UNC...

 

[RadyLady]

You folks are looking at stats and performance as the only measure of what makes the kind of players that Geno recruits and excusing the behavior that would be the root cause of his deciding that this player is not for UConn. In my book there is no "what ifs" about her coming to UConn. Geno didn't want to continue to recruit her and that's good enough for me.

 

[doggydaddy]

I haven't verified this but I read on another board that in her post game interview she said that "if I was an upperclassman I know I'd be embarrassed to get beat by a bunch of freshmen".

I hope it's not true. Really poor sportsmanship to say that.

 

[doggydaddy]

How she wouldn't develop at UNC...

Or how a win over Vandy means something.

 

[TheTruthBelow]

Or how a win over Vandy means something.

Erase those games against Vandy from SC's schedule, and Creme wouldn't have the Gamecocks as a No. 1 seed right now.

Of course, that has nothing to do with this thread.

 

[TheTruthBelow]

I haven't verified this but I read on another board that in her post game interview she said that "if I was an upperclassman I know I'd be embarrassed to get beat by a bunch of freshmen".

I hope it's not true. Really poor sportsmanship to say that.

Unfortunately, Mick, it is true.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Are you thinking of any players in particular who have their best seasons as freshman? Why is there any reason to think Diamond won't get better?

Even at UConn there have been a few players whose freshman stats were as good as it gets, though for a player like Tamika Williams, much of that was due to fitting into a needed role later in her career.

But the word is out from fans of certain team down southward that they get a lot of McDonald's AA's that don't really progress very well. For a number of the recent Vol players, if the freshman season wasn't their best, they really didn't get any better, according to the stats. In some ways Simmons had better stats in some areas as a freshman when she at least managed a 1.0 A\TO ratio. And the Vols' fabled 2008-09 freshman group with Stricklen didn't have a progressing story except to some extent with Glory Johnson.

At UNC? I don't know, maybe Larkins, Little and Atkinson. I mean, we all want to say that players get better and better as they get older, but for a variety of reasons, that's not always the case. There is neither a strong reason to think that DeShields won't get better or that there's necessarily any reason to be assured that she will be scoring more points in her senior season. Time will tell.

 

[doggydaddy]

Erase those games against Vandy from SC's schedule, and Creme wouldn't have the Gamecocks as a No. 1 seed right now.

Of course, that has nothing to do with this thread.

Well, it did have something to do with your post. Brining up past posts to belittle someone.

Looked like fun, so I joined in.

 

[doggydaddy]

Unfortunately, Mick, it is true.

Really, D ick? I didn't see it.

 

[cferraro04]

Watching Mvunga, Diamond, McDaniels and Grey and their supporting cast...I got to thinking that either next year or the following year...North Carolina may be winning another championship. I know it is blasphemy to say such things here in CT on this board...but, I got to call it as I see it. Make no mistake Diamond is an game changing player...if her freshmen year is an indication of her next three...she will be right up there with the all-time greats by the time she graduates.

 

[Cheddie]

She's an exceptional player. If anyone doubts whether she'd fit @ UConn, consider how hard Geno recruited her. But talent alone won't win a NC. UConn still has a very big advantage on the sidelines in their coaches, if the talent level isn't too mismatched. Ms. Wilson may make a difference for either team.

 

[Vowelguy]

Geno didn't want to continue to recruit her

I do not believe that is correct. The stories I've seen indicate that UConn was recruiting her to the end.

Either way, water under the bridge. The point is that she's very good.

 

[semper]

Maybe she'll transfer.

 

[RadyLady]

I do not believe that is correct. The stories I've seen indicate that UConn was recruiting her to the end.

Either way, water under the bridge. The point is that she's very good.

agreed, water under the bridge. But I believe that he stopped recruiting her late in the game.

 

[easttexastrash]

She is a tremendous talent. Many of her skills remind me of Maya Moore. UNC could get to the FF this year if they don't land in UCONN's region.

 

[iri10]

Later this season they'll run into the first team they've seen with both excellent offense and good discipline, in Notre Dame. I think it will be instructive. And given some of the 'tude that UNC's youngsters have had so far, I may also find it entertaining if they get taught a few lessons.