Familiarity with University of Arkansas Coach Mike Neighbors and the school's graduate programs led the nation's top graduate transfer Destiny Slocum to sign with the Razorbacks.
Slocum, 5-7, a two-time All-Pac 12 guard for Oregon State, announced her intentions to transfer to Arkansas on April 18 and signed with the Razorbacks on Monday. An Idaho native, she committed to Neighbors as a junior while he coaching Washington before reopening her recruitment and signing with Maryland.
Before leaving the Terrapins for Oregon State, Slocum was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and WBCA National Freshman of the Year in 2017. She made an official visit to Arkansas after leaving Maryland.
"I think I always wanted to play for Coach Neighbors, the timing never really worked out the previous times, but not only does he run an amazing system on the court, Arkansas also has the perfect graduate programs for me, too," Slocum said. "I think when stars aligned, it worked out very, very well, and I'm excited because I watched them play a ton, and I always loved how they play fast and uptempo in transition."
Slocum averaged 14.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 36.8 percent beyond the three-point line and 78.9 percent at the free-throw line last season.
As a redshirt sophomore, she averaged 15.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game. She has 507 career assists, which is No. 2 nationally among non-seniors. Slocum said Arkansas gave her several options in graduate studies.
"It's either going to be something with media or something with sports management or education," Slocum said.
Neighbors attended all of Slocum's games during summer basketball leading up to her pledge to the Huskies in August of 2015 while also watching her the maximum times allowed by the NCAA during high school. His relentless pursuit of her then and now, along with their relationship helped her gain a strong trust with the Razorbacks coach.
"He's put in the work to make me feel as though he really cares about my best interest and that's why I can trust him with one year," Slocum said. "I feel like that's not the easiest thing to do when you only have one year left is to find someone who you trust and know that believes in you."
She communicated with Clemson, UCLA, Duke and Arizona State, but Neighbors and Arkansas was always heavily on her mind.
"I wouldn't say I was looking at other programs I had some conversations but once I talked to Coach Neighbors I looked at the grad programs and I was like this might work out," Slocum said. "I think from the beginning I was for sure most interested in Arkansas and I let people know that because I had done previous research."
"As long as Coach Neighbors was willing to talk to me and want to recruit me, I had very strong interest in Arkansas. I wouldn't say I had my mind made up, but the stars aligned and I saw it, and I knew it so from the beginning I was very interested in Arkansas."
Slocum, who was a McDonald's All-American, was the Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and senior at Mountain View High School. As a high school senior she averaged 24.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
ESPN rated her a 5-star recruit, the No. 3 point guard and No. 7 overall prospect in the nation in 2016. She recalls her official visit to Fayetteville after leaving Maryland.
"I know Coach Neighbors is loved there, and his program is loved there and the support there is awesome," she said. "Just the opportunity to spend one year there and meet amazing people and share amazing moments with the new staff and teammates is going to be great."
E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 04/26/2020