Nice Diamond Deshields article

#26
#26
Coach Jumper said:
Much of what Meme has learned is self-taught.
She worked alone, tirelessly in the gyms while she learned, growing up.

But a more pure athlete, I haven't seen in a while.

She guards like a free-safety in football, and on the ball she is "handsy" without getting called for a foul, so she is BB-smart.

With proper teaching, Meme could be a Diamond-type of player.
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Speaking of putting in extra work at the gym.....
I was talking to an old friend that works for the UT Facilities Management group. The subject came up and he chuckled. He said he gets a kick out of seeing and hearing people talk with players (men and women) about getting in the gym to work on their craft. His end point was.....If you really want to know who is in the gym putting in extra work, ask the people that work on the custodial staff...they will tell you the truth!
 
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#27
#27
maxvolfan said:
Yes if im Holly im letting Diamond work with Meme on how to dribble drive. She has that ability like Diamond to penetrate and create. Too many time as stated above she feels she is only a perimeter shooter. We need more players other than Diamond to have confidence enough to create shots especially when we get late in the shot-clock.
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My business mentor used to say "monkey see, monkey do, monkey don't know why though".

Just because you can do a move doesn't mean you can instruct it. I have seen player instruct other players....Not a fan of it.
A player will say, do as I do
A coach will say, do it this way.
 
#28
#28
maxvolfan said:
Yes if im Holly im letting Diamond work with Meme on how to dribble drive. She has that ability like Diamond to penetrate and create. Too many time as stated above she feels she is only a perimeter shooter. We need more players other than Diamond to have confidence enough to create shots especially when we get late in the shot-clock.
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I may be the only one around here who does not want MJ learning to drive from DD.
Seems to me that more times than not when DD drives it is the recipe for a turnover, a charge, or a bad shot. At least in the half-court offense. I prefer that DD be a catch and shoot or a one dribble pull-up player off of another players action. I think her numbers are better and she is more effective in those situations. I do not want her to be a play maker, I want her to be a play finisher!
 
#30
#30
HoopDR said:
I may be the only one around here who does not want MJ learning to drive from DD.
Seems to me that more times than not when DD drives it is the recipe for a turnover, a charge, or a bad shot. At least in the half-court offense. I prefer that DD be a catch and shoot or a one dribble pull-up player off of another players action. I think her numbers are better and she is more effective in those situations. I do not want her to be a play maker, I want her to be a play finisher!
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DD has great BB skills..... Alexa won the MacDonalds skills and I think 3 point contest? What they don't have is the heart ❤️ of someone who knows how to win.... nor the WILL to win !!! Holly nor any other coach can make them have this mentality.
I will give you a couple of analogies: When a boxer gets knocked down! Will he get up and continue to fight or give into the pain? You will know if you have a good baseball player after they get hit the first time when at bat... If they get back in the batters box and stay in there when the next pitch is thrown? When a long distance runner is 3/4 of the race ran and their body and mind is telling them to quit...will they finish the race?
When scouting athletes you have to find players with this type of competitive attitude. The Hayes kid is this type of athlete. The girls being recruited from Hamilton Heights... I could see this in Balogun right off... I am not sure about Jasmine (not yet anyway) I do not know about the other recruits? I do know this: I.M.O. We do not have any player with these characteristics now! Westbrook is rated very high and usually a killer type attitude comes with winning!?!? But we have Mercedes and DD and there you have it ???
 
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#31
#31
We sure don't want DD to teach Jackson to drive in out of control and get even more charge fouls!
 
#32
#32
maxvolfan said:
Fair enough on both comments. I just hope this trend of players not developing dont continue.
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I am 100% with you on development! IMHO it goes back to their leadership problem. I do not believe the coaches have a plan for their continued development other than "they need to get in the gym and put in work". Then that dies when you have no leader on the team either by word or example. Add the old adage "when your best player isn't your hardest worker" you see the woes grow. I made a comment earlier in this thread or another one....."somebody go ask the facilities mgt staff who they see in the gym putting in any kind of work"!! Don't ask the players, you won't get an honest answer, or the coaches, they don't know!
 
#33
#33
HoopDR said:
I am 100% with you on development! IMHO it goes back to their leadership problem. I do not believe the coaches have a plan for their continued development other than "they need to get in the gym and put in work". Then that dies when you have no leader on the team either by word or example. Add the old adage "when your best player isn't your hardest worker" you see the woes grow. I made a comment earlier in this thread or another one....."somebody go ask the facilities mgt staff who they see in the gym putting in any kind of work"!! Don't ask the players, you won't get an honest answer, or the coaches, they don't know!
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This is not an across the board problem. Mercedes has clearly developed. Many are referring to Nared as the most improved player in the SEC. Middleton and Jackson are far better than they were last year (yes, they need to get better still but their improvement curve is noteworthy). Diamond is playing much better, particularly on the defensive end, than last year. Even Nunn has significantly upped her game from the beginning if the season.

The only players that really seem to have stagnated are Jordan and probably Dunbar.
 
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#34
#34
madtownvol said:
This is not an across the board problem. Mercedes has clearly developed. Many are referring to Nared as the most improved player in the SEC. Middleton and Jackson are far better than they were last year (yes, they need to get better still but their improvement curve is noteworthy). Diamond is playing much better, particularly on the defensive end, than last year. Even Nunn has significantly upped her game from the beginning if the season.

The only players that really seem to have stagnated are Jordan and probably Dunbar.
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I question as to whether Alexa and MeMe really improved, or that they're just playing more minutes out of necessity so it appears they are better because they have more court time to show off some good things. The fact that a healthy Nunn only played 3 minutes in the TAMU game makes me skeptical that she's gotten any better.

But I agree that Mercedes, Diamond and Jaime (although Danni Williams from TAMU should hands down be SEC MIP) are playing much better this year than last year.
 
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#35
#35
I just don't think getting better is good enough in this league. I know our player numbers are down this year so our players know minus (Harris) will get playing time but I would let it be known that if your performance don't improve you don't play for next year. That will get players attention and will not play uninspired.
 
#39
#39
Would it really hurt to put Harris in for a few minutes spread out over the course of the game to relieve MR? Too bad we cannot separate ourselves from most opponents on our schedule like UCONN so that she can get some playing time.
 
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#40
#40
mike099 said:
Would it really hurt to put Harris in for a few minutes spread out over the course of the game to relieve MR? Too bad we cannot separate ourselves from most opponents on our schedule like UCONN so that she can get some playing time.
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you said a mouthful right there! So true!
 
#41
#41
who was that crazy tattooed freak who used to play with Micheal J on the Bulls teams?

We need one of those type rebounders. just not the freaky... lol
 
#45
#45
just looked him up. he was a Bull, a Piston , A San Antonio Spur. A Laker, and even on one other NBA team...

Dang!
 
#46
#46
Yeah he was a rebounding machine. He took pride in he's really only job. To rebound. Scoring was just extra.
 
#47
#47
maxvolfan said:
Yeah he was a rebounding machine. He took pride in he's really only job. To rebound. Scoring was just extra.
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Dennis "The Worm" Rodman.

The Bulls got him from Detroit's bad-boy team to handle the Mailman (Karl Malone).

Rodman was 6'9", in a world of 7'1' ers.
Rodmans's technique was to study the shots and trajectories of players he faced. If they shot low trajectory we looked for off the front rim-rebounds,,,High trajectory were close to the basket or weakside opportunities.

He did make it an art form.

He also earned his nickname...Off the ball he would literally be all over who he was assigned to.
 
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#48
#48
Coach Jumper said:
If there is a chance for a National title, I think, she would strongly consider getting that first. I am pretty sure she wants that on her resume.

DD is impressive. I don't mean to dis her...But as a coach, I see improvements I could make in her game, so, to me she is unfinished.

She dribbles off of her foot.
She makes frustration turnovers.

But I also see the progress made too.

She no longer wears her emotions on her sleeve.
She gives 100% every outing.
Her turnover to assist ratio last year was 60:40 ((115:81)), this year it is closer to 50:50 ((90:83)). . . . (nobody sees this one).
She is turning the ball over 10% less this year.

Bottom line is when I see a player I can't "better",
they will get my respect.
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And your analysis of her efficiency is what? And, how does it compare to her H.S. and N.C. stats.

I'll save you the time. Essentially zero improvement.
 
#49
#49
PointGuard said:
And your analysis of her efficiency is what? And, how does it compare to her H.S. and N.C. stats.

I'll save you the time. Essentially zero improvement.
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I disagree.

You're looking at statistics, I am looking at entire game...If you can't see tremendous growth from last year, then drop out of "Gemology" class because you can't see a diamond, when it is shining in front of you.
 
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