Diamond DeShields last 3 games

[Vowelguy]

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

Not that JohnA knows all, but he certainly indicates that UConn was still pursuing her:
http://courantblogs.com/uconn-women/loss-of-deshields-will-sting-for-a-bit/

 

[easttexastrash]

It's amusing how adults can't wait for teenage girls to "get theirs," of sorts. This team already has enough losses to have learned a lesson or two. ND better watch out because this team is improving.

 

[RadyLady]

Not that JohnA knows all, but he certainly indicates that UConn was still pursuing her:
http://courantblogs.com/uconn-women/loss-of-deshields-will-sting-for-a-bit/

I yield

 

[BRS24]

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.

Oh yes she did. They just showed the interview during Duke/MD halftime. Ouch.

 

[easttexastrash]

Interesting to hear Lobo compare her talent level and 'tude to that of DT.

 

[BRS24]

Interesting to hear Lobo compare her talent level and 'tude to that of DT.

Sorry, there was a difference. DT was confident, cocky, but she never did anything like this.

 

[bbsamjj]

Sorry, there was a difference. DT was confident, cocky, but she never did anything like this.

Um, DT was given a technical her freshman year because she clapped her hands in Tasha Pointer's face after making a 3. I believe Geno immediately benched her.

DT did, however, always seem to be having a lot more fun on the court than Deshields seems to be having.

 

[Phil]

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 I heard it. Bad call by her.

 

[triaddukefan]

#23 for UNC is a heck of a talent.... within 60 seconds of the end of the Tarheel/Pack game yesterday... I started getting texts from co-workers asking if i saw the show that she just put on. I replied... yeah.... she is an ok player


Its likely by the time #23 graduates, she will be my least favorite Tar Heel of all time. Heck... she's already second on the list 4 months into her college career. I wont name my least favorite tar heel of all time ... but she is currently an assistant coach on the current squad.

 

[Geno-ista]

It's amusing how adults can't wait for teenage girls to "get theirs," of sorts. This team already has enough losses to have learned a lesson or two. ND better watch out because this team is improving.

I will tell you what- this No Car team is a team I wouldn't want in my region. DD is hitting her stride, and they are extremely talented. They scare me more than almost anyone else out there. Including Notre Dame. I'm not saying they are better- just very dangerous! I picked them for F Four!

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

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.

I think A'ja is either going to USC or UCONN. I don't see her at UNC or Tennessee.

 

[alexrgct]

#23 for UNC is a heck of a talent.... within 60 seconds of the end of the Tarheel/Pack game yesterday... I started getting texts from co-workers asking if i saw the show that she just put on. I replied... yeah.... she is an ok player


Its likely by the time #23 graduates, she will be my least favorite Tar Heel of all time. Heck... she's already second on the list 4 months into her college career. I wont name my least favorite tar heel of all time ... but she is currently an assistant coach on the current squad.

Somehow, I can't take that position. I think Diamond is great for WBB. She often puts up numbers at the volume shooter level (and I called that akin to a rich woman's Meghan Simmons and a homeless person's Kobe Bryant), but she's a gifted talent with a dynamic personality. Of course, I wanted her to come to UConn; having her and Stewie playing together for three years would have been simply ridiculous, not to mention with MoJeff for three years as well. When I saw her play for the first time (at the high school level), I recognized her skill set within one play. It's too bad she's at UNC because the coaching situation, for understandable and unfortunate reasons, has been inconsistent. That's not a knock on those coaches, but obviously Geno and his staff give a player tremendous coaching and continuity thereof. I had her in my emotional doghouse after being part of the UNC commitment blitzkrieg, but I can't help but like her.

 

[rocky rococo]

I think it's worth keeping in mind just how disrupted the coaching situation at UNC is. There's all these highly talented, very young players, most of whom were recruited by an assistant who has since gotten the axe. So there goes their primary original connection to the coaching staff. Then you have Sylvia, who has always had a loosey-goosey approach to the game, herself being so ill to be effectively incapacitated. As HC she's supposed to be in overall charge of things like development, discipline, etc., and those are matters that assistants can only pick up by delegation at best. The Heels are fortunate to have the superconfident Latta as an assistant, she'll be able to pick up some of the slack in the development area, but her own personal intensity may work against her in terms of helping young kids develop self-discipline. There is no effective overall guidance available to these young talented players, and I think that's been particularly glaring in the case of Muvunga. She did not arrive at UNC with any sort of reputation for attitude, but there have apparently been multiple episodes of acting out. The situations with Diamond have been mild by comparison.

Diamond's great, the simultaneous careers of DD and Stewie can only be good for the game as a whole, in a Bird/Magic sort of way.

 

[watanabe]

Diamond is great like Sims is great. I remember watching Sims get shut out (relatively speaking) against UConn. She got upset several times and looked to be a complete mess as her assumption of grandeur was broken. Saw her start to swing her arms around to hurt and punish. Watched her hiss and moan her way through the entire game after realizing her world was being fractured.

I think one of the greatest things about the Huskies is that they all seem to have a measure of humility and seem approachable. Setbacks have always been something UConn has risen from and gotten better. A loss in the spring has always been looked on as a good thing to settle the team and refocus on the important things to come in March.

While Diamond is very good, I'd rather embrace hardship and overcome, not hiss and moan, or stalk away from the game. Humility has always been the hallmark of true success. More than anything else, this is the trait that makes me a true Husky fan.

 

[Icebear]

Sims still throws her arms around in a manner that should get her called for more fouls. She actively bats away at defenders arms that are guarding but not in contact with and arm guards the ball when driving which was to be called among the POE this year IF I remember correctly.

 

[rvwsleep]

How was Mercedes Russell rated ahead of DeShields coming out of High School anyway? It's not even close at this point in their careers.

 

[easttexastrash]

Diamond is great like Sims is great. I remember watching Sims get shut out (relatively speaking) against UConn. She got upset several times and looked to be a complete mess as her assumption of grandeur was broken. Saw her start to swing her arms around to hurt and punish. Watched her hiss and moan her way through the entire game after realizing her world was being fractured.

I think one of the greatest things about the Huskies is that they all seem to have a measure of humility and seem approachable. Setbacks have always been something UConn has risen from and gotten better. A loss in the spring has always been looked on as a good thing to settle the team and refocus on the important things to come in March.

While Diamond is very good, I'd rather embrace hardship and overcome, not hiss and moan, or stalk away from the game. Humility has always been the hallmark of true success. More than anything else, this is the trait that makes me a true Husky fan.

Her world was fractured? LOL...talk about a sense of grandeur.

 

[Vowelguy]

How was Mercedes Russell rated ahead of DeShields coming out of High School anyway? It's not even close at this point in their careers.

HS rankings are based on a lot of things. Some may be based on current status in HS, others may be based on longer term potential thru college.

MoJeff was the ~#2 in HS. For 90% of last year, she didn't look like a top 20 player. But now, in her sophomore year, her HS ranking seems pretty accurate.

Some players take a little time to development in college and handle the change in competition and expectations.

 

[BRS24]

In all seriousness, let's play the "what if DD came to UCONN" game:

- is she a typical frosh player coming off the bench ala DT, Shea, Maya
- does the staff have the tools and patience to temper her supposed attitude
- would the over arching team concept pull her into the fold or make her more independent minded

What do all you BY experts think about her on the team as of today?

 

[watanabe]

What position would she play and who would she bump, another AA? Then what would happen to that player?
Maybe if she had started at the beginning of the year...
I say, we are good for now.

 

[Woof 101]

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.

LOL... Different game different era but Cliff Robinson used to pout and take off plays if he thought he was open and they did not get him the ball. Of course that was when if you had a ticket for the men you could see the womans game played first for free! Both programs have come so far...
Agree on DD, the coach and the teamates need to make her understand to win a NC the team has to be a bigger picture than the ego...

 

[triaddukefan]

In all seriousness, let's play the "what if DD came to UCONN" game:

- is she a typical frosh player coming off the bench ala DT, Shea, Maya
- does the staff have the tools and patience to temper her supposed attitude
- would the over arching team concept pull her into the fold or make her more independent minded

What do all you BY experts think about her on the team as of today?

Well one thing for sure.... if she had gone to UCONN........ Duke wouldnt have 3 losses at this point in the season, and I wouldnt be sporting the paper bag look in my avatar.