Deloach aims for professional career

Senior center Simone Deloach said she will always remember Nov. 22, 2010 — the day of her official IU visit as a high school student.

It was snowing outside, an unfamiliar sight for the Round Rock, Texas, native, and her host player was now-graduate student Sasha Chaplin.

Four years and 96 games later, Deloach said it was her official visit to Bloomington that won her over.

She’s now in the closing stretch of her time as an IU player, but though her collegiate career is ending,

Deloach said her basketball career may not be finished yet.

Provided she stays healthy, Deloach wants the opportunity to play basketball on a professional level after graduation.

With only 36 players drafted into the WNBA last year, Deloach’s options for turning professional are not limited to the United States. There are a number of international leagues, headlined by the FIBA EuroLeague Women, which could show interest in the 6-foot-3 forward/center.

It’s an opportunity Deloach said she is eager to take.

“If my body will hold up, I’d love to go overseas,” Deloach said.

IU Coach Curt Miller has reiterated throughout the season that he thinks Deloach will sign with a professional team. He said he believes she has the talent to join a team and help them win games immediately.

“Simone will play professional basketball,” Miller said. “There’s always a need for bigs overseas and she could go over to a lot of international leagues, foreign leagues and help programs immediately rebound and defend.”

Deloach’s transformation from a backup post player to a professional prospect has come through consistent growth throughout her time at IU.

After playing in 26 games as a freshman, she was limited to 15 games her sophomore season at IU due to lingering effects of an ACL tear from high school. As she returned to health, her stats began to rise and she further developed her skills.

In her junior season, she played in 29 games and averaged 3.3 points and 4 rebounds per game while coming off the bench for the majority of the season. Now a senior, Deloach has appeared in every game this year and started the last six.

She registered a breakout performance on her 22nd birthday against Wisconsin, when she tallied 14 points and 14 rebounds. It was her third of four double-doubles this season and helped lead IU to a win, but after the game she shied away from the spotlight.

“I just like to contribute to wherever I can,” she said.

As Big Ten play began, Deloach’s season took off. She has averaged a
team-high 7.7 rebounds along with scoring 7.1 points per game in conference play.

She’s also recorded a team-leading 19 blocks while averaging 17.9 minutes per game.

Miller commended Deloach’s improvements on the court since his arrival to IU prior to last season.

He said her development has played a vital role in IU (18-9, 5-9) achieving the fourth-highest win total in program history this season.

“She might be the biggest success story on court for us in our early tenure,” Miller said. “Just to see where she came from when we inherited her and where she is now.”

Deloach credited her improvements on the court this year to her offseason training during the summer in hopes of being able to have an impressive senior season.

When she returned to practice, she was keeping up with guards in agility drills.

“Over the summer I got in the best shape of my life and I was feeling great,” she said. “I just felt like I could (play professionally). The dream hasn’t died.”

While Deloach’s dreams still has sights on a professional career, her work at IU is not done. The Hoosiers have two road games, against Minnesota and Michigan State, left to play before the Big Ten Tournament.

Deloach said she wants to end her IU career on a high note. But although her days as a Hoosier are limited, her dreams of being a basketball player will live on past March.

“Right now, I just want to finish the season as strongly as I can,” Deloach said. “Once the season is over, if the opportunity is still there, then absolutely.”