Report: DD to TN

[Wbbfan1]

If, as many expect that Te'a Cooper is going to Tenn and she announced it at the end of her MTV reality show, then Diamond won't make her announcement until then. This presumes that Te'a and Diamond are a package deal to the Lady Vols. However, I do believe that if Te'a is going to sign with the Lady Vols, her decision was made before Diamond had made her decision to leave UNC. I also believe Diamond was unhappy at UNC for who knows what reason, and her family led the conversation that maybe she should have signed with the Lady Vols as they wanted her to. This is speculation on my part and just reading into what others are saying that Diamond and Te'a will end up at Tennessee. However, it was commonly known that Diamond's family wanted her to sign with the Lady Vols if she would be happy there.

 

[Icebear]

Any where she wants.

Every time I read this thread though I think it is doggydaddy going to the Summitt.

 

[EricSD]

Any where she wants.

Every time I read this thread though I think it is doggydaddy going to the Summitt.

THAT would result in an epic meltdown...!

 

[FairView]

Any where she wants.

Every time I read this thread though I think it is doggydaddy going to the Summitt.

I think that would cause a chemistry problem at the Summitt.

 

[Dove]

This post is the 250,000th on this board.

Sad, huh?

 

[Kevin G]

So DD wasn't getting good coaching at UNC and if these rumors are true she still would not be getting good coaching! I see another Meghan Simmons situation (jacking up crazy shots) but more talented on a bigger stage. Sounds like a win-win for DD and Tenn

 

[intlzncster]

There have been numerous NBA teams to disprove your premise. It may not be everything but it is important. You may not need great chemistry but you cannot have negative or acidic chemistry.

That's the big take away on chemistry. Everyone claims all or nothing, but the reality is somewhere in the middle. A team doesn't need to be best friends. As long as they get along well enough on the court and are committed to team play, your fine from a chemistry standpoint. Locker room cancers or tension in the locker room is a problem.

All that said, in my experience, a locker room with a tight bond is beneficial towards more winning, adding another element to success.

 

[Icebear]

See the Red Sox 2012 vs 2013.

 

[intlzncster]

Do you think that will happen for Tenn after watching what evolved at UNC? This is not a good situation and if you think it is just look at where UNC is now. I look at UNC and see Tenn's future.

There are significant differences between the UNC and TN situations. One, TN will not be fille with a bunch of freshman and sophomores. That is a huge factor in how a team plays together; veteran leadership can't be discounted.

TN's HC will very likely not spend most of the season dealing with illness and not on the sideline. Think of both HCs what you will, but that consistency it presence and message is critical.

Also, you are presupposing that DD does not develop as a player or a person. She will be a junior maturity wise by the time she gets on the court again. She'll have a year off to develop her game, and just as importantly watch the team play and learn from the assistants on the sidelines. This can be invaluable to a player. Also, I've read elsewhere that DD is Meighan Simmons 2.0; Simmons isn't half the player DD is.

She's a player that thrives in big time environments. TN will give her that every home game.

The circumstances of her leaving are far from ideal, and were inexpertly handled, but the fact remains that she finished out the season. IMO, EDD left UCONN in more of a lurch, by leaving in the summer. At best, it was similar circumstances from a team planning perspective. Sure EDD talked to coach, but the timing of her leaving was not ideal. Ultimately, DD wasn't happy, so what's wrong with her leaving?

 

[stwainfan]

Let's say she does go to Tennessee. She will have too sit out next year. I think the guard position is pretty good this upcoming year. Next year Massengale will be gone.
How do you see the guard rotation when Diamond can play?

 

[intlzncster]

Let's say she does go to Tennessee. She will have too sit out next year. I think the guard position is pretty good this upcoming year. Next year Massengale will be gone.
How do you see the guard rotation when Diamond can play?

Who will be your PG?

 

[stwainfan]

Who will be your PG?

I am going too say Carter.

 

[bballnut90]

I find it comical how all season long The Boneyard praised DeShields as one of the best talents in the country and once the rumors surface that DeShields is Tennessee bound, many people here are now saying she'll cause issues with team chemistry, is a ball hog, Simmons 2.0, is high maintenance, etc. Gimme a break. DeShields was the consensus NFOY, broke the ACC freshman scoring record, and led an underclassman dominated team to the Elite 8. If DeShields does transfer to Tennessee, the LVs will improve immensely.

 

[bballnut90]

Let's say she does go to Tennessee. She will have too sit out next year. I think the guard position is pretty good this upcoming year. Next year Massengale will be gone.
How do you see the guard rotation when Diamond can play?

If DeShields chooses Tennessee, the projected lineup as of today would be:
PG-Carter/Reynolds
SG-Nared/Tucker/Middleton/Dunbar
SF-DeShields/Jones
PF-Graves
C-Russell

Nared/Tuck/Middleton/Jones/Dunbar would see reduced minutes with DeShields in the lineup.

 

[intlzncster]

I find it comical how all season long The Boneyard praised DeShields as one of the best talents in the country and once the rumors surface that DeShields is Tennessee bound, many people here are now saying she'll cause issues with team chemistry, is a ball hog, Simmons 2.0, is high maintenance, etc.

Actually, many people on here have been saying those things all season.

 

[meyers7]

So, where is DD supposed to go (besides UCONN) that would make everyone happy happy?

Anywhere but Tennessee I'd be ok with. Wasn't even concerned with her coming to UCONN.

This cry about team chemistry is just fear (imo) that TN will be a formidable talent once DD can play - and get them back in the mix with UCONN. Isn't that what we want? Isn't that what we've been asking for?

Not me. I don't want TN to ever win a game again. I want them to be so bad that people don't even feel sorry for them, they just laugh. If they never got another top 500 recruit, I would be very happy.

I certainly don't want to ever play them again. Ever.

 

[meyers7]

That's the big take away on chemistry. Everyone claims all or nothing, but the reality is somewhere in the middle. A team doesn't need to be best friends. As long as they get along well enough on the court and are committed to team play, your fine from a chemistry standpoint. Locker room cancers or tension in the locker room is a problem.

All that said, in my experience, a locker room with a tight bond is beneficial towards more winning, adding another element to success.

See the Red Sox 2012 vs 2013.

Some of you are talking two completely different things here. A male locker room and a female locker room are very, very different.

 

[meyers7]

I find it comical how all season long The Boneyard praised DeShields as one of the best talents in the country and once the rumors surface that DeShields is Tennessee bound, many people here are now saying she'll cause issues with team chemistry, is a ball hog, Simmons 2.0, is high maintenance, etc. Gimme a break. DeShields was the consensus NFOY, broke the ACC freshman scoring record, and led an underclassman dominated team to the Elite 8. If DeShields does transfer to Tennessee, the LVs will improve immensely.

Maybe she can get them to the Elite Eight.

 

[rocky rococo]

I find it comical how all season long The Boneyard praised DeShields as one of the best talents in the country and once the rumors surface that DeShields is Tennessee bound, many people here are now saying she'll cause issues with team chemistry, is a ball hog, Simmons 2.0, is high maintenance, etc. Gimme a break. DeShields was the consensus NFOY, broke the ACC freshman scoring record, and led an underclassman dominated team to the Elite 8. If DeShields does transfer to Tennessee, the LVs will improve immensely.

Ha! True to some degree, but if she had chosen to go to UConn, I think we can be certain the reaction from VolNation/Checkerboard Square would be so close to identical as not to quibble over. Just one of those entirely too predictable human behaviors. BTW, just speaking for myself, I think it's great for the sport that she's going to TN, the only really big thing missing in the most recent years of UConn dominance of the game has been a fully competitive LV team.

 

[UcMiami]

So, where is DD supposed to go (besides UCONN) that would make everyone happy happy? This cry about team chemistry is just fear (imo) that TN will be a formidable talent once DD can play - and get them back in the mix with UCONN. Isn't that what we want? Isn't that what we've been asking for? To be the best you have to beat the best. So in that vein TN will still have to try and beat UCONN to be the best. It's up to the coaches to develop the talent they have in order to do that. I'll take Geno over Warlick any time, any day, any place... I don't care who's on her roster.

I think it is an interesting issue to discuss with any team. I do not think there is any chance she is coming to Uconn and I personally think it would be problematic for the team if she did - Geno would have to be very sure of what she wanted and how she would respond before he would accept her. He has been 'burned' with the last two transfers he did take, and I think he took them because the team was light on tall players, and he regretted that. He has a very good team coming in next year and solid prospects for the new players likely to be able to play in 2015. I suspect he doesn't want to complicate things with a player who will be academically a junior when she is first able to play for him.
I don't really care which team she chooses, I think the same sorts of issues apply. Next year you have this incredibly talented and creative player on your team who cannot play. That is not an easy situation to manage in practice. If she plays with your starters, it messes them up because she is not available in the games, if she plays with your reserves is she going to be unhappy? I suspect she may well choose TN, and personally I do not think the TN coaching staff is good enough to manage that. You had a USA star player who appeared to regress significantly last year and there were some 'strange' tweets. It seemed to be a pretty fragile team from a confidence/chemistry stand point. I am not sure how they or any other team would handle a 'star' sitting on the bench. And I am not really sure how DD would handle that situation either. I had a pretty clear idea of what her career at UNC would look like - I have no idea of what it looks like anywhere else.
For an analogy - think of Sims 2013-4 version transferring into your program to sit on the bench for a year and how you would handle 4 months of practice and how your freshmen, sophomore, and junior guards would feel looking over their shoulder at what the next year would be like.
And ... what your recruiting for the 2015, 2016, 2017 classes would be like - in effect you have three starting guards on your team already - not a lot of playing time for your recruits. And not knowing if you are planning for 2 years or 3 years of having this great guard on your team.
I agree - TN with DD is not something I fear, nor SC or TX or GA or ND or wherever she ends up. I do think a lot of good coaches would think long and hard before offering her a scholarship, but some definitely would. I think it really is a gamble and a 50/50 proposition, especially for a team with a lot of talent already.

 

[robert]

Team chemistry is an underrated commodity. Once you have a certain talent level, great chemistry > more talent. No matter what, only 5 players can see the floor at one time
UCONN played only 6 players during the championship game against ND...we did it bec of good chemistry.

 

[bballnut90]

I don't really care which team she chooses, I think the same sorts of issues apply. Next year you have this incredibly talented and creative player on your team who cannot play. That is not an easy situation to manage in practice. If she plays with your starters, it messes them up because she is not available in the games, if she plays with your reserves is she going to be unhappy? I suspect she may well choose TN, and personally I do not think the TN coaching staff is good enough to manage that. You had a USA star player who appeared to regress significantly last year and there were some 'strange' tweets. It seemed to be a pretty fragile team from a confidence/chemistry stand point. I am not sure how they or any other team would handle a 'star' sitting on the bench. And I am not really sure how DD would handle that situation either. I had a pretty clear idea of what her career at UNC would look like - I have no idea of what it looks like anywhere else.
For an analogy - think of Sims 2013-4 version transferring into your program to sit on the bench for a year and how you would handle 4 months of practice and how your freshmen, sophomore, and junior guards would feel looking over their shoulder at what the next year would be like.
And ... what your recruiting for the 2015, 2016, 2017 classes would be like - in effect you have three starting guards on your team already - not a lot of playing time for your recruits. And not knowing if you are planning for 2 years or 3 years of having this great guard on your team.
I agree - TN with DD is not something I fear, nor SC or TX or GA or ND or wherever she ends up. I do think a lot of good coaches would think long and hard before offering her a scholarship, but some definitely would. I think it really is a gamble and a 50/50 proposition, especially for a team with a lot of talent already.

I do not see how this situation is very different from most other teams. Every year players know that new recruits will come in and compete for playing time. If Durr were to commit to UCONN, I don't think anyone would be nervous that by bringing Durr on board, it could ruin team chemistry because it could mean less playing time for the 4 freshmen coming in next season. I acknowledge that the situation is a bit different considering that DeShields would be at practice every day and playing with the team, but wouldn't this be a much more positive influence (she'll be able to bond/gel with teammates, develop on court chemistry, learn the system) than negative? I think a lot of it comes down to the eye of the beholder--I'm a UT fan so of course I'm going to look at the pro-UT, optimistic outlook while many others here will not, but I think the pros of DeShields coming to UT will definitely outweigh any cons.

 

[doggydaddy]

If DeShields chooses Tennessee, the projected lineup as of today would be:
PG-Carter/Reynolds
SG-Nared/Tucker/Middleton/Dunbar
SF-DeShields/Jones
PF-Graves
C-Russell

Nared/Tuck/Middleton/Jones/Dunbar would see reduced minutes with DeShields in the lineup.

I'm sure that Nared and Tuck are thrilled with reduced minutes before they even play.

And and freshman guards in the 2015 class? Wait two years.

 

[UcMiami]

I do not see how this situation is very different from most other teams. Every year players know that new recruits will come in and compete for playing time. If Durr were to commit to UCONN, I don't think anyone would be nervous that by bringing Durr on board, it could ruin team chemistry because it could mean less playing time for the 4 freshmen coming in next season. I acknowledge that the situation is a bit different considering that DeShields would be at practice every day and playing with the team, but wouldn't this be a much more positive influence (she'll be able to bond/gel with teammates, develop on court chemistry, learn the system) than negative? I think a lot of it comes down to the eye of the beholder--I'm a UT fan so of course I'm going to look at the pro-UT, optimistic outlook while many others here will not, but I think the pros of DeShields coming to UT will definitely outweigh any cons.

I think the issues are just a little different with a transfer than a recruit - starting with them being a shorter term proposition - I strongly suspect DD will leave as soon as she can wherever she goes which means you have her for two playing years only. And she is not a complementary player but a star. Bobbitt was a great transfer for Pat in the Parker years and I think was the reason TN won, but she was bought in to fill a real void on the team and was a complimentary player to the star Parker. And for a lot of programs, star freshman start on the bench if there is enough skill in front of them - they get their playing time, and they may end up starting by the end of their freshman year, but there is a natural order to things at the beginning of the year.
If DD does end up with TN next year she will likely be the most talented player on the team and certainly the most dynamic - so what happens in practice? Do you run your first team with DD controlling the ball - if so, what happens come game time when this dynamic player is not on the court and suddenly your offense is being initiated by a completely different type of player? I think that would be a disaster for the team's prospects. So, she leads the second team in practice - will she try to pattern her play on the next opponents best wing player or will she run her own stuff? If the former, great! If the later not so good. And another thing - does she scale back, or does she blow up the starting wing/guard players on the first team beating them consistently and crushing their confidence?
Finally - she has been a star for her team for as long as she has been playing basketball and she has gotten 30 minutes a game in the bright lights. Now she has a year of being a cheerleader sitting on the bench. How exactly will she respond to that? No body including DD knows. And she will still be a media darling so how do the players who are actually winning the games feel when the reporters on the road want to talk to DD and not them?

 

[Bestiarius]

I do not see how this situation is very different from most other teams. Every year players know that new recruits will come in and compete for playing time. If Durr were to commit to UCONN, I don't think anyone would be nervous that by bringing Durr on board, it could ruin team chemistry because it could mean less playing time for the 4 freshmen coming in next season. I acknowledge that the situation is a bit different considering that DeShields would be at practice every day and playing with the team, but wouldn't this be a much more positive influence (she'll be able to bond/gel with teammates, develop on court chemistry, learn the system) than negative? I think a lot of it comes down to the eye of the beholder--I'm a UT fan so of course I'm going to look at the pro-UT, optimistic outlook while many others here will not, but I think the pros of DeShields coming to UT will definitely outweigh any cons.

There is a difference in the pecking order between a Freshman coming in, even a highly ranked one, and an experienced upper classman transferring in.

The freshman is still a high school player with no college experience. Typically, a good player expects to get more playing time and stature as the years progress. Next year's sophs will in some way have to repeat their Soph year when they are Juniors when DD comes in.

I can't see existing players being happy about this. How a transfer works out will depend greatly on how maturely the person transferring handles the situation. I doubt if too many coaches would be looking forward to the experience. Of course, a successful season in the win column would have a soothing effect.

 

[cferraro04]

There is a white elephant in the room here.First of all, in order to get Diamond and her friends into North Carolina a number of scholarshipped players where coaxed into leaving the program. I thought there were a set of twins and a couple of other girls who transferred out. Then Diamond and her friends pulled their WCBB coup which had everyone talking for a few weeks anyway. Now, after a year where that very young class learned how to play at the college level and were for the most part competitive making it to the elite 8 before losing and many of those in the know figured North Carolina with Diamond would be a top 5 team next year...and by the following year would be challenging for a national championship if not next year Diamond up and leaves???? This on top of the fact that the "hall of fame" coach who recruited her fought a tough battle with leukemia and for the most part won...as the disease is in remission and she has said that she intends to coach next year. To walk out on her coach in what many believe was without even having a sit down with her...leaving her coach questioning why, and, feeling bad that she didn't even get the chance to coach the kid...in my opinion goes to the moral integrity of the player. I'm sorry, I know that Diamond is only an 18 year old kid, but she has adults advising her...her father was a professional baseball player he knows the right and the wrong way to do things of this nature. So, I don't accept youth, in this case, as an excuse. After all, it was only one year and her head coach wasn't even there...one can only guess that the environment she was recruited to, the one that caused her to pull off one of the most talked about recruitment coups in WCBB history would have been re-established with Sylvia Hatchell's return to the sidelines. I suspect that if Diamond ever plays against the Tar Heels that the fan reaction would be severe.

 

[Icebear]

Actually, many people on here have been saying those things all season.

Yes, it was obvious all season if one had the chance to see her. Great talent, little discipline. Given the results with Simmons I do not expect to see great growth in discipline with Holly overseeing DD.

 

[msf22b]

Let's continue to assume UTenn for argument's sake
Some of the recent, most thoughtful posts above have shed a lot of light on the possible negative effects on the team, both in practice and in games.
Some points:
-Swainfan has correctly pointed out that Holly has won more than a few games; perhaps she is not as bad as we sometimes assess; just not
top draw; like most of the other coaches we face not named Jeff, Gary, Muffet or Tara. She may have inherited a lot of talent
but also a system that had squandered similar talent for some time

-DD is a special talent; very little in common with Simmons. You'd want the ball in her hands with 20 seconds to go and the game on the line.
I'd be surprised if Simmons lasts a week with Bill

-DD might well improve the morale of the team in practice by showing how a winner does things. She might
even wake up the sleepwalking Graves.

-Tennessee will certainly be a much more formidable team with her.

-Whether we play them or not it will be good for the game.

And if all this potential optimism for a disliked program fails to materialize, then the calls for Holly's head will be loud and justified.

 

[sivad40]

This was posted on GA board by tyree02 (person that first broke the story about DD transferring:

" Contrary to all or the lies currently being put out there that she is headed to Tennessee is nothing short of a lie at the moment. Not saying she won't go there, because I don't know, but DD doesn't even have a schools list right now. From what I was told yesterday DD is just going to take some time and get herself together. It was more than just distance from home that caused her to leave UNC. A lot of the upperclassmen had issues with her being the best player on the team and that caused a lot of friction amongst Diamond and her teammates.
I did rattle off a list of schools, but that was my prediction, but DD DOESN'T HAVE A LIST OF SCHOOLS AT THE MOMENT!!!"

I don't think anybody should be suprised that there were chemistry issues between Diamond and some of ther teammates.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

There is a white elephant in the room here. No one is talking about what a program wrecker DeShields is pertaining to North Carolina. First of all, in order to get Diamond and her friends into North Carolina a number of scholarshipped players where coaxed into leaving the program. I thought there were a set of twins and a couple of other girls who transferred out. Then Diamond and her friends pulled their little WCBB coup which had everyone talking for a few weeks anyway. I'm sure Diamond had a lot to do with convincing the other girls to attend North Carolina. Now, after a year where that very young class learned how to play at the college level and were for the most part competitive making it to the elite 8 before losing and many of those in the know figured North Carolina with Diamond would be a top 5 team next year...and by the following year would be challenging for a national championship if not next year Diamond up and leaves???? This on top of the fact that the "hall of fame" coach who recruited her fought a tough battle with leukemia and for the most part won...as the disease is in remission and she has said that she intends to coach next year. To walk out on her coach in what many believe was without even having a sit down with her...leaving her coach questioning why, and, feeling bad that she didn't even get the chance to coach the kid...in my opinion goes to the moral integrity of the player. I'm sorry, I know that Diamond is only an 18 year old kid, but she has adults advising her...her father was a professional baseball player he knows the right and the wrong way to do things of this nature. So, I don't accept youth, in this case, as an excuse. I witnessed first hand the childish behavior from Diamond and excused that because of her youth...pouting and stamping her feet because she was angry can be chalked up to her youth and it is something that you would expect that she will grow out of....but, the decision making with regards to this issue leaves a lot of questions. After all, it was only one year and her head coach wasn't even there...one can only guess that the environment she was recruited to, the one that caused her to pull off one of the most talked about recruitment coups in WCBB history would have been re-established with Sylvia Hatchell's return to the sidelines. I suspect that if Diamond ever plays against the Tar Heels that the fan reaction would be severe.

I didn't listen to my parents when I was 18; maybe DD doesn't listen to hers, either.