Has Diamond D. been granted her release by UNC?

[HuskeySlim]

In Michelle Voepel's ESPN's article she says that Diamond was really homesick. Would she not be homesick anywhere else except Georgia Tech ? We also have to remember she is just a teenager whose decisions may change like the wind. Somehow I don't see her going overseas. Her family, from everything I have read, is secure financially.

Her high school coach says DD needs a year away to heal. She also says DD has been playing non-stop, year round since the 9th grade. Diamond herself even says she cried when she had to leave Atlanta to go back to Chapel Hill. Is it homesickness or something else ? Who knows ? This whole situation reminds me a lot of what went down with EDD.

A lot has been written on the BY about DD coming to UCONN. Would she be a good fit ? Some say you cannot turn down a talent like hers. Every coach HAS to look at team chemistry. What is the fist thing Geno looks at when recruiting ? Unselfishness. IMO with the young ladies we have, and the young ladies we have coming in I would say we just don't have a spot. I am not sure how the other young ladies would take it.
Plus, we did alright without her. I say we have a great thing going, and we should not mess with success.

 

[Vowelguy]

Don't really think so in terms of transferring - she would end up with incompletes as grades and lose a half year of college credits, but it doesn't really change the eligibility or the NCAA rules situation. If she really has dropped out 2/3rds of the way through a semester, she must really be miserable and it actually speaks well of her that she could keep playing at a high level if the personal side of school was so dreadful. Where is the clearing out coming from as I hadn't seen that in the stories I read.

The cleaning out story was a tweet by someone who said s/he lived on DD's floor in the dorm. The tweet was sent to the reporter who broke the story about the transfer.

Clearing out, if that happened, does not mean that she's not finishing out the semester. In fact, her HS coach said DD planned to complete her classes this month.

 

[ctkaiser]

I thought a kid is allowed to contact other schools when she leaves the school and decides to transfer, either herself or an intermediary (?). Other schools cannot initiate contact though. Maybe the current school has to give permission idr. Has Diamond even left the Chapel Hill campus?

Any school in America would be absolutely thrilled to have her. I think this board's bias is getting in the way of reality here.

I remember reading one time that Roy Williams said he sent Christmas cards to guys he recruited in the past. Kind of a sleazy way to stay in touch. What's the modern day equivalent? Send a tweet?

 

[ctkaiser]

Regarding the prohibition of schools talking to another team's players. My recollection is that after Geno released Walker, she almost immediately enrolled at Kentucky. This is pure speculation on my part but I've always had the impression that she must have talked with the school before making the final decision to cut ties with UConn. Other's thoughts and recollections?

If she didn't talk to Kentucky directly somebody spoke on her behalf because I remember it the same way you do, a seamless transition.

 

[Icebear]

Don't really think so in terms of transferring - she would end up with incompletes as grades and lose a half year of college credits, but it doesn't really change the eligibility or the NCAA rules situation. If she really has dropped out 2/3rds of the way through a semester, she must really be miserable and it actually speaks well of her that she could keep playing at a high level if the personal side of school was so dreadful. Where is the clearing out coming from as I hadn't seen that in the stories I read.

That depends on whether qualifies for incompletes that is not the case in every course.

 

[stamfordhusky]

What I found interesting to discover reading about the UNC issues is: at the same time they created this new criteria for 'grading' academic performance and applying it retroactively, they also completely abolished any minimum standard for athlete eligibility to get a scholarship. This allows schools with no conscience to give scholarships to any student that gets a HS diploma many of which are meaningless.

No. To qualify for a scholarship, an athlete needs a minimum GPA and a minimum SAT, per NCAA rules. Also must have passed 16 specified "college prep" courses. It's not the highest hurdle - but many with a HS diploma can't clear it. For example, if you have a 2.5 GPA (and the required 16 academic courses), then you need a two-part SAT score of at least 820. With a 2.0 GPA, you need a minimum of 1010 on the SAT. Below 2.0 GPA and no scholarship. Since every prospective student-athlete must go through the NCAA Clearinghouse, there really is no way to avoid the minimum standards.

 

[stwainfan]

I watched the video of her accepting the HS POY award. She thanks Pat Summitt in her speech.

 

[calpedaler]

I watched the video of her accepting the HS POY award. She thanks Pat Summitt in her speech.

and then decided to go to UNC.

 

[UcMiami]

No. To qualify for a scholarship, an athlete needs a minimum GPA and a minimum SAT, per NCAA rules. Also must have passed 16 specified "college prep" courses. It's not the highest hurdle - but many with a HS diploma can't clear it. For example, if you have a 2.5 GPA (and the required 16 academic courses), then you need a two-part SAT score of at least 820. With a 2.0 GPA, you need a minimum of 1010 on the SAT. Below 2.0 GPA and no scholarship. Since every prospective student-athlete must go through the NCAA Clearinghouse, there really is no way to avoid the minimum standards.

Are you sure about this - that was the old rule that according to the HBO piece is no longer applicable - the APR is now their only requirement.

 

[bschwartz]

I am willing to wager that the timing of the announcement was tied to A'ja's announcement. I think Diamond timed it to give A'ja her day without people trying to connect the two events. Had she announced this weeks ago, some might blame her for A'ja not going to UNC if that was the case. I think she did the right thing, and I think A'ja knew it. Nice.

Also, I won't link to it bc it was so nasty, but did you hear how Diamond's brother got blasted in the face with a 90mph fastball. Tough week in that family.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Are you sure about this - that was the old rule that according to the HBO piece is no longer applicable - the APR is now their only requirement.

You are correct. They eliminated the test requirement, at least from the NCAA's point of view.

Part of the on-going discussion of folks going to college to play sports that just don't belong there. More of a problem in the men's game than the women's, thank goodness.

 

[Zorro]

The cleaning out story was a tweet by someone who said s/he lived on DD's floor in the dorm. The tweet was sent to the reporter who broke the story about the transfer.

Clearing out, if that happened, does not mean that she's not finishing out the semester. In fact, her HS coach said DD planned to complete her classes this month.

Absolutely right. Unsubstantiated rumor. My bad. Apologies. I hope she does finish the semester; it would be a great waste not to.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

In the Mechelle Voepel article, her 2nd DD interview, Diamond said she broke down and cried having to go back to NoCar after the GA Tech game in GA! Being homesick! If this is true why would she go to TN which is about as far away from GA as NoCar? Maybe further? Wouldn't she go to a school closer to home? I really doubt she'd go overseas to play pro!

 

[USC303]

Chapel Hill is almost twice as far from Atlanta (almost 6 hours) as Knoxville (a little over 3).

 

[UcMiami]

Chapel Hill is almost twice as far from Atlanta (almost 6 hours) as Knoxville (a little over 3).

Still a long way for dropping in for Sunday lunch. according to google 5:29 vs 3:14 - not a pleasant one-day round trip either way.

 

[wes33]

You may have a little competion in a few years.

http://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/tennessee-done-deal-deshields/

 

[UcMiami]

You may have a little competion in a few years.

http://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/tennessee-done-deal-deshields/

Not sure I would put a lot of faith in that source - seeing as everyone seemed to be blind sided at UNC, that a local sports radio station in Chapel Hill, NC would be the one to get the news first from an unnamed source.
(If that 'rumor' is correct it would be a little bit of a read flag to me. Goes to UNC because of 3 friends she wants to play with. Leaves UNC after a year because of another friend she wants to play with at a different school?)

 

[hjoerring]

That is what I meant when I said I didn't think every school would be willing to take her if she wanted to go there, and that is not being privy to possible 'distrust' built into the reasons DD is leaving UNC - if it is homesickness for example, then would a school in TX feel comfortable that they would solve that issue for her, and why?[/quote]

In my view there are 1 or 2 teams tthat would be problematic. Geno would/should stay away at all cost. If the coachings are saying that herhandshe packed and walked out during the night- they are opening doors critical comments. Geno would be adding still another female coach to a list of unfair practices group. It would be like stealing a child from her mother while the latter was hospital bounded. Others have drawn parallels to Hunter who left Duke for Uconn. I don't see this beyond the most obvious: both were recruited by us, but went elsewhere. Rumors had it that Hunter's parents pushed for Duke and she reluctantly went there. Coming to Uconn and sitting out a year with highly reduced physical possiblities (but intact skill levels) made her more a role player and a poster person (no negatives intended here) for the Program. Deshields on the other hand offered up a rejection of Uconn. Speculation is hopeless, but as it is good for the soul, it might be possible that she is smart to see the need for more training in the fundamentals and that she might ot be getting that in the coaches absence. Perhaps she saw the writings on the wall for the next couple of years and want much more discipline. Also, these young girls are not machines- they do get burned-out-- even with the many rewards they collect at year ends. (Hopefully, she is not mentally fatigue with depressive symptomology and that a glass of OJ and change of scenry will do the cure.)

 

[stwainfan]

If I understand it right. She has too finish the semester at UNC. Then she can talk too any school. So there is nothing confirmed only rumors.

 

[UcMiami]

Just a heads up to posters - the above link I would classify as being borderline 'unsubstantiated rumor' and I felt a little leery of my second point above as it becomes 'speculative' based on a questionable source and if this thread goes done that route too far, it probably will (and should) be locked.

 

[hjoerring]

In the Mechelle Voepel article, her 2nd DD interview, Diamond said she broke down and cried having to go back to NoCar after the GA Tech game in GA! Being homesick! If this is true why would she go to TN which is about as far away from GA as NoCar? Maybe further? Wouldn't she go to a school closer to home? I really doubt she'd go overseas to play pro!

"Homesick" was once a recognizable disease/illness to be treated. As such, it isn't really about distance quantifiable in km or this or that. There is a question of groundedness, belongingness, etc. People who you meet and play with from the time you were 7 y.o are called/referred to as friends until you and them are together over a year. It is possible these individuals- while good friends in the virtual world may leave much to be desire in the world of flesh and blood. I remember my mother giving me an advice that I have kept with me since my teenage days and relationships. After intro her to my new girlfriend- Bev, she asked about the former and I said something to the effect that I met Bev and everything just clicked. Her response: what will you do when you meet Joan and things also click. As they did with Helle! Anytime I hear a player saying that they want to go and play with this and that person rather then a program/school I get out my worrying beads.

 

[easttexastrash]

If anyone is advising her to go into prof. ball directly after her freshamn year, thet are not being wise on so many levels. No one is going to hire a kid who was homesick over a few hundred miles....

Im hoping she sticks to college ball.... And gets an education. Wbball is not a money pot... Gotta plan beyond 32yrs old....

If she can make $500K a year for the next three years, then I would advise her to turn pro immediately. How many kinds would turn down a chance to make $1.5 million in three years and leave school after their freshman year? Probably none.

 

[intlzncster]

If she can make $500K a year for the next three years, then I would advise her to turn pro immediately. How many kinds would turn down a chance to make $1.5 million in three years and leave school after their freshman year? Probably none.

IDK, when your family has 10's of millions, you probably don't see it the same way. She'll always have money, basketball or not.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Are you sure about this - that was the old rule that according to the HBO piece is no longer applicable - the APR is now their only requirement.

I think you may have misunderstood. The APR has nothing to do with individuals and nothing to do with their initial eligibility for scholarships. What I posted is directly from the current NCAA by laws.

 

[easttexastrash]

IDK, when your family has 10's of millions, you probably don't see it the same way. She'll always have money, basketball or not.

How does anyone know how much money they have? The dad could have invested very poorly and lost all of it. He wouldn't be the first pro player to have gone through all of his money.