After three years of playing for the universities where her father Deion Sanders coached the football team, Shelomi Sanders took a different route than her brothers. The 5-foot-5 guard entered the transfer portal this summer, landing with Alabama A&M. Deion Sanders made a public comments saying it wasn't a wise decision on her part.
Nevertheless, Shelomi and Deion now see eye to eye on her college basketball decision. In an interview with NBC Sports, Sanders said she talked to Deion Sanders after he called her decision "stupid," and has formed a common understanding since then.
"You know, he is my dad and he's also a coach, so I think that's why he kind of just had a reaction like that," she said. "But we handled and discussed things behind closed doors so it's all good now," she added.
Deion Sanders had initially made the following comments when speaking on DNVR BUFFS LIVE:
"It was stupid. You don't enter the portal. You get a team before you enter the portal. You kinda get a team before you enter the portal. You know, that's what I would advise a child. And I know, well, it's illegal. C'mon, man, everybody knows somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody," he added.
What made Shelomi Sanders enter the transfer portal?
Shelomi Sanders’ time with the Buffaloes was spent majorly on the bench. She was heavily unutilized and was given very less playing time by JR Payne. She participated in just seven games throughout the season, averaging 2.6 minutes per game which resulted in 0.7 points and 0.6 rebounds for her season stats.
With that, there is no doubt that Sanders was seeking a better situation and a coach who would see her as a great fit for their playbook. Moreover, the guard’s decision also came due to the mental pressure she faced on a daily basis.
"For me, I would say, yeah, last year during the beginning where I just came home sad every day," Sanders said on her Instagram live on Aug. 11. "I was sad and mad like every day. That and when I was at Jackson, like if I didn't leave when I did, I promise you I would have quit," she added.
Shelomi Sanders averaged 16 ppg during her high school senior year for Rockwall-Heath. Moreover, she has coach Joni Taylor's trust in her, who will reportedly try to use her as a three-point shooter this season.
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