Same old, same old in 2015-2016

[hoophuskee]

Does anyone see Meighan Simmons in Diamond DeShields? A talented player who never seemed to make her team that much better. Also, she was a player who liked to shoot a lot. Diamond is much more talented, that I know. Their games seem similar, as mentioned above.

No. I think DD is miles better. And I thought DD did make her team better. You can make your team better even if you shoot a lot. LeBron for example made "his team better" even though he took a ton of shots. I think DD is a sensational player if/when she becomes healthy.

 

[AnotherVolFan]

There's some basis for a comparison. Here's their offensive stats for the 2013/14 season:

Simmons - 28 min/gm
42% 2pt% 203-488
36% 3pt% 72-200


DeShields - 28 min/gm
43% 2pt% 248-582
28% 3pt% 48-172

For all the optimistic expectations some LV fans have had going into next season, I find it odd because of all the negativity those same fans dumped on Simmons. She was labelled a "gunner" who thought more about her own shot than in leading the team. Well, DeShields shot more than Simmons.

Now I think DD's size will make her a much better driver than Simmons and DeShields will be a bigger defender on the perimeter, but on the other hand Simmons never took a second off in a game while I saw DD lose her focus at UNC, to the point where she forgot about the game to whine to both officials and her bench while the other 9 players were at the other end of the court.




Well, it's nearly a year and a half later and she is still "recovering" from an injury. All last season, posts were made by LV fans about how she was "healthy again" and how she was practicing so well. I never remember reading anywhere that she had had surgery. Whether or not she will be "fully healthy" this season is very much still up in the air. Right now her ankle is in a boot and there is no assurance that she will be 100% by November.

Last year UConn had two players coming back from injuries, Tuck and Williams. Both ended up being huge contributors but I don't think anyone would have been surprised if either or both had not been 100%. Tenn is counting on both Russell & DeShields to be the leaders this coming season. While I hope they both have great seasons, I also think some LV fans are whistling past the graveyard with the way they are taking it for granted.

BLAH.....Diamond is miles ahead of Simmons and anyone with basketball eyes can see that! You're comparing Simmon's senior season to Diamond's freshman season....give me a break!

 

[DaddyChoc]

BLAH.....Diamond is miles ahead of Simmons and anyone with basketball eyes can see that! You're comparing Simmon's senior season to Diamond's freshman season....give me a break!

well said

I would like to see the FT's, steals, rebounds etc.... just to get the whole picture.

 

[Alydar]

well said

I would like to see the FT's, steals, rebounds etc.... just to get the whole picture.

assists to's a/to steals ft's
DeShields assists - 92 TO's - 122 as/to - .75 st - 61 ft's - 104-134 83%
Simmons assists - 80 TO's - 93 as/to - .86 st - 42 ft's - 99-119 78%

http://www.wbbstate.com/

My point was not to say the 2 were equal but to show that while Simmons was generally disparaged by LV fans during her last 2 years, DeShields is being viewed as a savior after putting up surprisingly similar numbers. Some LV fans excuse her rather mediocre shooting at UNC by pointing out that she played injured. But now we find out that she is still injured. Now I am certain that the reports out of Knoxville will be that DD is 100% ready to go come November. But how many times have we heard that about LV players only to learn after the season that it wasn't true?

 

[DaddyChoc]

assists to's a/to steals ft's
DeShields assists - 92 TO's - 122 as/to - .75 st - 61 ft's - 104-134 83%
Simmons assists - 80 TO's - 93 as/to - .86 st - 42 ft's - 99-119 78%

http://www.wbbstate.com/

My point was not to say the 2 were equal but to show that while Simmons was generally disparaged by LV fans during her last 2 years, DeShields is being viewed as a savior after putting up surprisingly similar numbers. Some LV fans excuse her rather mediocre shooting at UNC by pointing out that she played injured. But now we find out that she is still injured. Now I am certain that the reports out of Knoxville will be that DD is 100% ready to go come November. But how many times have we heard that about LV players only to learn after the season that it wasn't true?

oh I have no clue about what they're saying in Knoxville... I was just interested in all the other stuff that goes along with being out on the court.

rebounds? FTM-FTA

I wonder if we all can conclude that Diamond isn't a slouch... played one season, sat out last season, everyone wanted her coming out of HS etc. I understand the UConn/Tenn stuff posters love to go back and forth with. My opinion is we have no idea whats going to happen with DD this upcoming season, I hope she's great and take the LV's to the Title game against UConn

 

[Alydar]

BLAH.....Diamond is miles ahead of Simmons and anyone with basketball eyes can see that! You're comparing Simmon's senior season to Diamond's freshman season....give me a break!

You may not like facing the fact that DeShields is a lot like Simmons but the stats don't lie. And Simmons freshman stats were a lot like her senior stats. Look them up if you want. The biggest difference between the 2 is that DD is 6" taller. Simmons was listed at 5'9" but was closer to 5'7" or even less. DeShields is all of 6'1" and able to play inside. But as far as how hard they played Simmons played 110% at all times while the freshman DeShields lost her focus on several occasions. Yapping at refs or her own bench while the other 9 players were down the other end said a lot about her maturity.

But I'll admit she has a lot of talent. And the potential to be great. But as of yet she's just like, say, Kelsey Mitchell, a volume shooter. And teams built around volume shooters don't win NC's.

 

[DaddyChoc]

BLAH.....Diamond is miles ahead of Simmons and anyone with basketball eyes can see that! You're comparing Simmon's senior season to Diamond's freshman season....give me a break!

Good Luck this season... I hope Diamond does well

 

[HuskyNan]

You may not like facing the fact that DeShields is a lot like Simmons but the stats don't lie. And Simmons freshman stats were a lot like her senior stats. Look them up if you want. The biggest difference between the 2 is that DD is 6" taller. Simmons was listed at 5'9" but was closer to 5'7" or even less. DeShields is all of 6'1" and able to play inside. But as far as how hard they played Simmons played 110% at all times while the freshman DeShields lost her focus on several occasions. Yapping at refs or her own bench while the other 9 players were down the other end said a lot about her maturity.

But I'll admit she has a lot of talent. And the potential to be great. But as of yet she's just like, say, Kelsey Mitchell, a volume shooter. And teams built around volume shooters don't win NC's.

Stats may not lie, but they certainly can mislead. There is no way that Simmons drew the same defensive attention that DD did. Simmons would shoot a second after she got the ball; DD would shoot with defenders draped on her.

Elite players like DD can make it easier for their team to move and score simply by drawing defenders away from teammates. Maria Conlon was a great shooter for UConn but she got many of her shots off because there were two or three defenders on Diana. And Tennessee has more and betters options. Yes, Diamond will have a huge impact fot the LVs.

 

[SCGamecock]

Valid point--I was trying to emphasize the streakiness factor which is more common in emotional players, but you're right that she is always steady. Swanier might be a better comparison, as Swanier was pretty similar to Cuevas as a freshman but not as strong of a scorer as Bianca. Swanier did make huge improvements in her consistency and decision making over the course of her career, she was a very good point guard by her senior year. I'm interested to see how Cuevas develops under Staley.

Same here. Cuevas STRUGGLES in the half court game. I'm pleased to hear that she took advantage of Staley's small groups skills camps this summer.

 

[easttexastrash]

I like your pre-season top 10. By the end of the season, I expect Notre Dame to move up at least two spots.

Notre Dame will move up two spots, right behind Baylor, which will be at #2. Baylor will have a tremendous PG in Johnson, top off-guards in Alexis Jones and Kristy Wallace, AA performer Nina Davis at the 3/4, along with Alexis Prince, and an incredibly deep post presence with Brown, Mompremier, Cave, Cohen and Higgins. IMO, this is the be accumulation of talent that Mulkey has ever had to work with. And the following season may be even stronger, especially if we land Cox.

 

[Hope]

Notre Dame will move up two spots, right behind Baylor, which will be at #2. Baylor will have a tremendous PG in Johnson, top off-guards in Alexis Jones and Kristy Wallace, AA performer Nina Davis at the 3/4, along with Alexis Prince, and an incredibly deep post presence with Brown, Mompremier, Cave, Cohen and Higgins. IMO, this is the be accumulation of talent that Mulkey has ever had to work with. And the following season may be even stronger, especially if we land Cox.

Kalani Brown is listed as 6'7" on Baylor team roster. Typo?

 

[CocoHusky]

Kalani Brown is listed as 6'7" on Baylor team roster. Typo?

Probably. Well maybe she grew over the summer. Unless Baylor switch sneakers. Everyone knows Nikes are .2087 inches taller than UnderArmour. Wait......is that height with or without sneakers? Is it possible Baylor got her confused with her father. I think PJ was listed at 6'7" when he played for the Heat. But PJ didn't go to Baylor so I not sure why Baylor would be so easily confused. Then again the last picture I saw of Kalani with Geno she was definitely taller than Geno. It has been established the Geno is taller Bria Hartley so using that inverse transitive property 6' 7" is within the possible range of probable error for her true height. And as Bill Russell would say " Can she Play? "

 

[bballnut90]

Notre Dame will move up two spots, right behind Baylor, which will be at #2. Baylor will have a tremendous PG in Johnson, top off-guards in Alexis Jones and Kristy Wallace, AA performer Nina Davis at the 3/4, along with Alexis Prince, and an incredibly deep post presence with Brown, Mompremier, Cave, Cohen and Higgins. IMO, this is the be accumulation of talent that Mulkey has ever had to work with. And the following season may be even stronger, especially if we land Cox.

Baylor has its deepest roster ever next year (not best--but deepest.) There are a lot of moving parts, if Kim can get them to all click it could be a special season for the Bears. I'm interested to see how Davis/Jones play together and how the incoming freshmen posts perform. Remember that Jones was the #3 recruit in 2012, right after Jefferson and Stewart and before Loyd. She'll be a player to look out for this upcoming season.

 

[easttexastrash]

Kalani Brown is listed as 6'7" on Baylor team roster. Typo?

I had noticed that. Baylor does not have a reputation of fudging the heights of its players and BG was always listed as 6'8" although her father was quoted several times as saying that she was 6'9". BG is now listed as 6'9" on the Phoenix Mercury roster. I am guessing that Brown is a legit 6'7", not that 6'7" makes her any more effective than 6'6".

 

[meyers7]

I hope she's great and take the LV's to the Title game against UConn

That's just sick man. Have you no self respect?

 

[rvwsleep]

I had noticed that. Baylor does not have a reputation of fudging the heights of its players and BG was always listed as 6'8" although her father was quoted several times as saying that she was 6'9". BG is now listed as 6'9" on the Phoenix Mercury roster. I am guessing that Brown is a legit 6'7", not that 6'7" makes her any more effective than 6'6".

Brown is huge and will be able to overpower most of the teams she plays against. However, against the top teams, Baylor might be better with Mompremier at center. She will allow Baylor to play at a faster pace than Brown will.

 

[easttexastrash]

Brown is huge and will be able to overpower most of the teams she plays against. However, against the top teams, Baylor might be better with Mompremier at center. She will allow Baylor to play at a faster pace than Brown will.

I agree and I think Mompremier will be a better college player than Brown due to her athleticism. From the footage I've see she is going to be an Ogwumike type of performer. She can finish with either hand so she can play on either side of the basket. I am super excited about her!

 

[j66kicker]

I had noticed that. Baylor does not have a reputation of fudging the heights of its players and BG was always listed as 6'8" although her father was quoted several times as saying that she was 6'9". BG is now listed as 6'9" on the Phoenix Mercury roster. I am guessing that Brown is a legit 6'7", not that 6'7" makes her any more effective than 6'6".

The first 10 Google results I got for "Kalani Brown Height" included six 6'6", three 6'5" and one 6'4" (the 6'4" was from high school, but so were some of the others)

 

[meyers7]

The first 10 Google results I got for "Kalani Brown Height" included six 6'6", three 6'5" and one 6'4" (the 6'4" was from high school, but so were some of the others)

So she's like 19'3"?

(oh wait, avg, not sum)

 

[j66kicker]

So she's like 19'3"?

(oh wait, avg, not sum)

Don't think average works either. I'm gonna guess a legit 6'5" in stocking feet but no commercially available shoes that would get her to actually measure 6'7"

 

[Hope]

Don't think average works either. I'm gonna guess a legit 6'5" in stocking feet but no commercially available shoes that would get her to actually measure 6'7"

Don't think average works either. I'm gonna guess a legit 6'5" in stocking feet but no commercially available shoes that would get her to actually measure 6'7"

A pair of Manolo Blahnik Hangisi Pumps would put her at

Don't think average works either. I'm gonna guess a legit 6'5" in stocking feet but no commercially available shoes that would get her to actually measure 6'7"

A pair of Christian Louboutin pumps would put her at 6'9", but if I were Kalani I would go with the Bottega Veneta's.

 

[j66kicker]

A pair of Manolo Blahnik Hangisi Pumps would put her at

A pair of Christian Louboutin pumps would put her at 6'9", but if I were Kalani I would go with the Bottega Veneta's.

OK according to my precise calculations:

Manolo Blahnik Hangisi Flats ($955): 6' 5-1/2"
Manolo Blahnik Hangisi 50 ($965): 6' 7"
Manolo Blahnik Hangisi 70 ($965): 6' 7-3/4"
Manolo Blahnik Hangisi 105 (965): 6' 9-1/4"

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT<>prd_id=845524446554569

 

[AnotherVolFan]

Good Luck this season... I hope Diamond does well

Thank youuuuu DC....we're hoping for a healthy season this year!!!! Good Luck to you all as well....unless we meet! Lol

 

[mhshuskies]

Notre Dame, Florida State, Duke, Louisville, Syracuse, Miami all should be better than the sheep down I-40 East. Perhaps NC State, UVA as well.

It's all a second rate conference anyway.