TeamEBA Featured Player Evaluation: Diamond DeShields

Diamond DeShields is one of the nation’s best players and a first-time Elite Basketball Academy All-American. *Photo by Ty Freeman

Diamond DeShields of Norcross, Ga., pledged to North Carolina in the spring of 2012. Before she heads off to Chapel Hill, the No. 3 ranked prospect nationally by ESPNHoopGurlz was on a mission at our Elite Basketball Academy All-American Camp.

By: Brandon Clay

Follow @BrandonClayPSB

Vitals

First-time Elite Basketball Academy All-American
Height: 6’2” – Graduation Year: 2013
Current HS Position: SF – Projected College Pos: SF
School: Norcross – Location: Norcross, Ga.

Strengths

DeShields might be the most explosive high school athlete in the country regardless of class. Her ability to dominate her opponents with both her athleticism and skill set puts her amongst the elite players in the game. That unique combination is also why DeShields has been selected to four USA Basketball teams over the past three years. At 6-foot-2, she has developed her perimeter game to the point where she is consistently hitting the open 3-pointer off of the catch or off of the bounce.

Areas To Improve

Late in games, DeShields has the athletic ability to impose her will on the flow of the game on both ends of the floor similar to Maya Moore, Candice Parker and Diana Taurasi. The next step in her development is being willing to take clutch, quality shots in those moments then finding a way to make a play to get a needed stop on the other end.

The Bottom Line

Though athleticism runs in DeShields’ family, Diamond is the first to make basketball her primary sport. Her father, Delino, played major league baseball for over a decade while her younger brother, Delino Jr., just stole over 100 bases this past season for the Houston Astros Class A affiliate. Diamond is continuing the family’s successful run through the sports world as she is a virtual lock for both the McDonald’s and WBCA All-American Games next spring. Equipped with a full box of basketball tools, DeShields will look to continue the family’s success at the next level in Chapel Hill starting next fall.

Brandon Clay is the publisher of the JumpOffPlus.com and the owner of Peach State Basketball, Inc. The service is picked up by more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide. He serves as the Executive Camp Director for the EBA All-American, Fab Five and Super 64 Camps. In addition, he serves as a national recruiting analyst for ESPNHoopgurlz and a contributor to SLAM Magazine. Clay has been involved in the community since 2001 as an evaluator, event operator and trainer. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @BrandonClayPSB