Elena DelleDonne to Play Basketball for Delaware

[93henfan]

Big news for UD, albeit not totally unexpected. This may be the first time in my life I can say I am looking forward to watching Delaware Women's Basketball!


http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090602/SPORTS07/906020310/DelleDonne+to+play+hoops+for+Blue+Hens


NEWARK -- Elena DelleDonne, the 2008 national high school girls basketball player of the year, is returning to basketball and will do so in a University of Delaware uniform, The News Journal has learned.

Delaware is expected to announce today that the 6-foot-5 DelleDonne, 19, is joining its women's basketball team.

She'll have freshman eligibility beginning with the 2009-10 season, which opens with seven road games, the first at St. Francis (Pa.), before a home contest against Navy.

Delaware coach Tina Martin would not comment on Monday.

As a senior at Wilmington's Ursuline Academy, DelleDonne had signed with the University of Connecticut, which won the recruiting battle over fellow national power Tennessee.

But after spending a few days at UConn last June, DelleDonne abruptly returned home. She later said she needed a break from basketball, enrolled at UD, and joined the volleyball team...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERAzZvYp_TE

http://www.bluehens.com/sportsinfo/volleyball/images/delledonne-hs08.jpg

[bluehenbillk]

News had been expected for months finally goes official today. Instantly makes UD a womens hoops power, will be interesting over the next 4 years what it does to UD's recruiting.

So ends the ODU reign of dominance.

[ISUMatt]

not bad looking either LOL

[LeopardFan04]

News had been expected for months finally goes official today. Instantly makes UD a womens hoops power, will be interesting over the next 4 years what it does to UD's recruiting.

So ends the ODU reign of dominance.


Drexel ended that last year...



(My Drexel student brother would kill me if I didn't mention that!) xlolx

[TexasTerror]

I did not click on the article - but will EDD play volleyball still as well? Did she play VB last year?

[93henfan]

I did not click on the article - but will EDD play volleyball still as well? Did she play VB last year?

She played VB last year and she can't play VB and basketball at the same time, as the seasons overlap. WBB's first game was 16 Nov last year and the WVB team was playing in the NCAA tourney until Dec 5th.

[mcveyrl]

News had been expected for months finally goes official today. Instantly makes UD a womens hoops power, will be interesting over the next 4 years what it does to UD's recruiting.

So ends the ODU reign of dominance.

As somebody mentioned, Drexel ended the tournament run last year, but anything that shoves them further down the ladder is okay in my book.

The CAA has actually turned into a high quality mid-major women's conference.

[Hoyadestroya85]

I thought she "didn't love playing basketball" I watched the story on outside the lines about her and thought "what a whiny brat." If I'm Geno Auriemma.. I'm still pissed about this.

[RabidRabbit]

This is good for non-BCS WBB, good for the BlueHens, and good for the CAA.

I'd like to see more parity in the WBB rather than the same 4 teams every year in the tourney. It's been several years since the WBB elite 8 didn't have only BCS teams.

[93henfan]

I thought she "didn't love playing basketball" I watched the story on outside the lines about her and thought "what a whiny brat." If I'm Geno Auriemma.. I'm still pissed about this.

But you'd still hit it?

[bluehenbillk]

Hoya Destroya-

You're right that DelleDonne said she lost her passion which is probably true. However Geno knows there is more to the story as to why she left UConn that hasn't been publicized so I'd bet heavily he'll be nothing but gracious.

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Q: Did you ever tell UConn coach Geno Auriemma how you really felt, especially after you came to the realization that your decision to leave wasn't about burnout?

EDD: I told Coach Auriemma last summer that I was leaving basketball because of burnout and he said to me at that point, 'Elena, I guarantee that it's not burnout, that it's all about missing home.' He said a player like myself, who had done so well in the sport and worked so hard, that burnout didn't make sense to him.

I told him, 'No, you are wrong, coach, you have no idea how I'm feeling.' But you know what? Now that I look back on it, he was really right; he usually is.



Hartford Courant EDD Story (http://www.courant.com/sports/college/husky/women/hc-web-qa0603jun03,0,4111754.story)

In true UConn WBB fashion, there are currently 47 comments posted to this article. xoopsx :D

[LacesOut]

Will she quit on UD b-ball, like she did on UCONN b-ball and like she did also on UD Volleyball?? I'm playing devils advocate here but what happens if she all of a sudden loses her passion for playing hoops again after one/two seasons at UD?? LOL She would probably go back to volleyball.

I wonder what actually happened up at UCONN. Again, just speculating, but maybe she didn't like being just another player up there - a small fish in a big pond. Obviously UCONN didn't need her at all. But now she comes play at UD and she is back to being a big fish in a little pond.

[bluehenbillk]

I wonder what actually happened up at UCONN. Again, just speculating, but maybe she didn't like being just another player up there - a small fish in a big pond. Obviously UCONN didn't need her at all. But now she comes play at UD and she is back to being a big fish in a little pond.


Nope...not what happened at UConn

[93henfan]

I think it's pretty well documented in the posted interview. She thought it was burnout, but eventually realized she missed home and being near her special needs (I believe I read it is cerebral palsy) sister.

I'm not willing to call someone in that situation a quitter.

[MR. CHICKEN]

Will she quit on UD b-ball, like she did on UCONN b-ball and like she did also on UD Volleyball?? I'm playing devils advocate here but what happens if she all of a sudden loses her passion for playing hoops again after one/two seasons at UD?? LOL She would probably go back to volleyball.

I wonder what actually happened up at UCONN. Again, just speculating, but maybe she didn't like being just another player up there - a small fish in a big pond. Obviously UCONN didn't need her at all. But now she comes play at UD and she is back to being a big fish in a little pond.


ALOT UH DUH V/BALL SQWAD...QUIT......xnodx......BRAWK/OBAMA!

[blukeys]

Hartford Courant EDD Story (http://www.courant.com/sports/college/husky/women/hc-web-qa0603jun03,0,4111754.story)

In true UConn WBB fashion, there are currently 47 comments posted to this article. xoopsx :D

now 72 comments. A few that are gracious. The restxrolleyesxxrolleyesxxrolleyesx

[Hoyadestroya85]

But you'd still hit it?

eh.. i'd need a step ladder

[Rob Iola]

She was just waiting for Edgar to retire...