Diamond Deshields to UNC

[ucdt3]

While I'm not happy she chose UNC? over UConn, I respect her decision and praise her for not "stringing" us and the other schools along when she already made up her mind (and clearly, it's been made up for a while since she committed with 2 others on same day). Now UConn can focus its efforts on players who may actually want to play here. Maybe this is the year of "playing with your friends" at the school with the best shot to play immediately (aka as rookies) rather than be bench players on a winning team. First the slew of commits to ND, now UNC...wonder who's next...Baylor, Tennessee, Kentucky etc. (plenty of time to go around at those schools in the next few years.)

 

[Bestiarius]

This should make for some interesting games down the road. Nothing Uconn can't handle in my opinion. Trying to figure out what recruits will do is a futile exercise. This is the perfect example. I don't recall anyone anywhere predicting this eventuality.

 

[ucdt3]

I feel sorry for the kids that are going to lose their scholarships because of this and previous signings.

Seriously, they have 18 players signed/verbally committed through the HS Class of 2014. First, Duke started renagging on scholarship offers to players who had already committed/dealt with tons of transfers and now UNC will likely have to start renagging as well as maybe have transfers (are we sensing a theme...Stafford-Odom?????)

 

[Vowelguy]

Their highest rated 2012 recruit is barely in the top 25 (McDaniel). the kids ahead of the great 2013 class is not filled with elite players. in fact, i don't see them even sniffing the top 10 at least until DD et al are sophomores, and possibly juniors. They simply don't have great players ahead of them...

Erika Johnson, a 6'1" W transfer from Cal who will be eligible in December, was HG #21 in the 2011 class.


Interestingly, if someone is going to be pushed out, it just might be Whitney Adams from Montini HS (Michala's alma mater), who averaged just 4.8 mins in 16 games.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Sylvia must have convinced them that she is really an excellent coach, has just had a run of bad luck and that they can fix it.

Nope. Tricia Stafford Odom convinced them.

And it isn't like UNC has been awful for a long time (Final Fours in 2006 and 2007).

 

[ucdt3]

This should make for some interesting games down the road. Nothing Uconn can't handle in my opinion. Trying to figure out what recruits will do is a futile exercise. This is the perfect example. I don't recall anyone anywhere predicting this eventuality.

UConn didn't re-new its series with UNC due to their lack of actually showing up for the games. They have been replaced by Maryland.

 

[Vowelguy]

First, Duke started renagging on scholarship offers to players who had already committed

I missed that. When did that happen?

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Seriously, they have 18 players signed/verbally committed through the HS Class of 2014. First, Duke started renagging on scholarship offers to players who had already committed/dealt with tons of transfers and now UNC will likely have to start renagging as well as maybe have transfers (are we sensing a theme...Stafford-Odom?????)

Duke did not retract a scholarship. Duke informed Clair Watkins that she likely would not play as much (which was true), but would still honor her scholarship (she decided to go to Vanderbilt; her father later admitted he lied when he said Duke would not honor her scholarship).

Whitney Knight decommitted because Duke was recruiting Laney, who ended up picking Rutgers.

 

[ucdt3]

Nope. Tricia Stafford Odom convinced them.

And it isn't like UNC has been awful for a long time (Final Fours in 2006 and 2007).

Does this woman actually have coaching talent? Because wouldn't it make sense to just become a head coach rather than bouncing (being pouched) from school to school as an assistant coach?

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Does this woman actually have coaching talent? Because wouldn't it make sense to just become a head coach rather than bouncing (being pouched) from school to school as an assistant coach?

Why? She left UCLA because the head coach was fired and a new staff was brought in. She came to Duke. She left Duke for other reasons.

 

[ucdt3]

Duke did not retract a scholarship. Duke informed Clair Watkins that she likely would not play as much (which was true), but would still honor her scholarship (she decided to go to Vanderbilt; her father later admitted he lied when he said Duke would not honor her scholarship).

Whitney Knight decommitted because Duke was recruiting Laney, who ended up picking Rutgers.

Oh okay, never heard he changed his story. My apologies.

Still something smells fishy to me about this Stafford-Odom woman...

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

TSO is a good recruiter. She showed that while at Duke.

 

[ucdt3]

Why? She left UCLA because the head coach was fired and a new staff was brought in. She came to Duke. She left Duke for other reasons.

Why? Because there are/were a ton of head coaching positions open...and if she really is that great of a recruiter than she could build a school into a powerhouse. My question is...is she just a great recruiter and/or does she have actual head coaching talent?

 

[Jason76]

Having known TSO since her high school coaching days at Westchester High (and she went from a two year high school stint straight to UCLA with no other experience), I'm not her biggest fan but these recruiting classes she keeps helping to land are very impressive.

I doubt we'll see her as head coach anywhere, anytime soon. She's probably one of those who's better suited to being an assistant, sort of like Tia Jackson. If she does become a head coach, I can imagine her being like her first boss, Kathy Olivier. At Westchester, she was cited numerous times for rules infractions so with someone else looking over her shoulder, it seems to work well.

 

[Icebear]

You can't understand a top talent wanting to go to a program where they can be undisciplined? The flip side of undisciplined tends to be FREEDOM in a players' minds. I don't think it is a good decision, but I can certainly understand how an athlete like DeShields can see UNC's style of play as attractive. Where we may see sloppy play, they often see the freedom to run around at 800 miles per hour.

No, not if she wants to become the best kind of player that she can be. I understand the appeal to some but not to a kid who professes the desire to become a world class athlete. I can think of at least a dozen schools where she would be better of including Penn State in comparison to UNC.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Why? Because there are/were a ton of head coaching positions open...and if she really is that great of a recruiter than she could build a school into a powerhouse. My question is...is she just a great recruiter and/or does she have actual head coaching talent?

Not sure she wants to be a head coach at the college level just yet. She and her husband have young kids.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Gary just committed to UNC. Hatcher has to be using some shady recruiting tactics to pull this class off.

Link?

 

[Icebear]

Wow..... Im stunned............. things just got very interesting on Tobacco Road

I would be much more impressed if Duke had been able to pull in that class. UNC not so much. JPM would be dangerous adding that talent to the current team.

 

[doubledees]

i don't see that at all. they got one truly elite recruit. at this point, they are still behind Maryland in their own league and Duke as well. let's wait and see if they land Russell or Davis and follow it up with a nice class in 2014. i'm not saying that they won't be in top 10, but they were 20-11 last year and failed to make the NCAA's.

They graduated Chegog, Bromfield, and White - their #1,2 and 7 scorers, and White was their starting PG. Their highest rated 2012 recruit is barely in the top 25 (McDaniel). the kids ahead of the great 2013 class is not filled with elite players. in fact, i don't see them even sniffing the top 10 at least until DD et al are sophomores, and possibly juniors. They simply don't have great players ahead of them...

i could see them losing 15+ games this coming year. and missing the NCAA's again. a LOT of rebuilding necessary in Chapel Hill starting with the 2013 class. they are basically starting from scratch.

Geno recruited McDaniel, and maybe offered her a scholarship, so are you now saying she isn't good because she was barely top 25? Geno saw something in her! North Carolina got one elite recruit, one that was said here to be a gamechanger when it was believed she was coming to Uconn. So has that changed now that she is going to NC? Mavunga isn't chopped liver either! North Carolina has done fine! One elite recruit with a nice supporting cast, the same thing Uconn has done. Stewart is your elite, the rest are good supporting players, and will add to the team!

Don't get too caught up in the ranking of a player! That number besides their name doesn't tell you how they will adjust to the collegiate game. For instance, Lewis was number one coming out of high school, and had a nice freshman year, but Williams of Duke won freshman of the year honors, but came out of high school as the number two player. Rankings mean nothing, it's what the player does on the court that counts!

 

[triaddukefan]

Well the Tar Heel Nation is full of front running fans.... so perhaps this will help them with attendance both in Chapel Hill.. and during the ACC tourney

Suggestion for Triad: Don't mention the Boneyard until at least the second date.

 

[cferraro04]

Remember when Sylvia said this:

The women's game is too physical, she said. It should go back to being more of a finesse sport.​

"There used to be more finesse in the game. We've gotten away from that. The bigger, stronger teams are the ones that dominate," Hatchell said. "I think the game has become way too physical and that's why I think the scores, overall, are lower.​

You don't see as much finesse as you used to. I wish that we could clean it up a little bit more and make it to where it's not as physical as it is."​

​

I guess she decided to show everyone how to play the finesse game. ​

​

​

 

[Vowelguy]

Bret McCormick ‏ @ASGR1995
North Carolina adds #8 Allisha Gray 5-11 G 2013 from GA. (Perhaps the guard DD was referring to?) Plays AAU for GA Metros. 4 sensational players. Stay tuned there could be 2 more.

 

[Icebear]

Two more that will be like 20!?!

 

[HuskyMJ]

Bret McCormick ‏ @ASGR1995
North Carolina adds Allisha Gray 5-11 G 2013 from GA. Plays AAU for GA Metros. 4 sensational players. Stay tuned there could be 2 more.

This went from a great story about UNC to now a downright travesty for the current players and the 3 recruits who have been UNC commits for over a year. No two ways about it, multiple players will HAVE to leave the program whether they like it or not. Is this what collegiate athletics is about? You have room for 15 scholarships max and most teams do not use them all because its hard to keep 15 happy. UNC could have close to TWENTY future players unless some leave. Well some have to now they have no choice.

 

[HuskyMJ]

How funny would it be if Wake Forest who is still looking for a coach, hired UNC's assistant? Its not wise to commit to a school b/c of one assistant but that is what it looks like here. Assistants move around a lot they get promoted they get new jobs. It would give me a laugh if she got hired elsewhere.