Editor鈥檚 note: This article is part of the Star鈥檚 2018-19 college basketball guide, which ran in Sunday鈥檚 paper.
Destiny Graham has experienced a lot as an Arizona Wildcat. New coaches, new systems, even a complete turnover of teammates.
The Wildcat senior, called 鈥淕randma鈥 by her teammates, says she鈥檚 eager to stamp a happy ending on her college career.
Arizona鈥檚 roster is stacked with young talent and a handful of major-college transfers, and Graham says she鈥檚 excited by the new dynamic.
鈥淭his year. all the girls are welcoming and we all have the same goal 鈥 just to win and get better together,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat goal makes it easier because we all want to work towards it. We鈥檙e playing for each other and with each other.鈥
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Coaches say Graham puts her team first. She鈥檚 started 55 of the Wildcats鈥 60 games since the start of her sophomore season. The 6-foot-2-inch San Francisco native has played center, forward, even guard.
鈥淒estiny is like a jack-of-all-trades,鈥 coach Adia Barnes said. 鈥淚 like that she can adapt to any situation this team needs and she鈥檚 receptive to that. That鈥檚 what I like. If I say, 鈥楧estiny play the 5 (spot, center),鈥 she鈥檒l go play the 5. If I say, 鈥楧estiny, you鈥檙e going to play the 2 (guard spot) or the 3 (forward spot),鈥 she鈥檒l go do it. And she鈥檚 very smart. Most players can鈥檛 know four positions. She knows all four positions. I love the fact that she will adapt to anything that is best for the team.鈥
Sophomore Kiana Barkoff says Graham is 鈥渄efinitely our senior,鈥 and she means it as a compliment.
鈥淲e can talk to her about anything. We鈥檙e not shy to go to her about things,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he way she gives advice is more positive. 鈥 She just explains things. She is very well-spoken. 鈥 A good role model.鈥
It鈥檚 taken a while for the selfless senior to develop on the court. She credits much of her recent improvement to Barnes, who took over for Niya Butts following the 2015-16 season.
鈥淲hen she came in my sophomore year, she was helping me build confidence in my shooting,鈥 said Graham. 鈥淭here鈥檇 be some games where I would be playing the 3 and we鈥檇 be by our bench and she鈥檇 say 鈥榮hoot that shot鈥 or 鈥榶ou got her; take her鈥欌攕he鈥檇 be in my ear. I think it was her giving me that confidence to do what I can do, what I鈥檓 capable of. 鈥
Barnes was in her ear again last season, when Graham 鈥 playing center 鈥 had to battle players taller and wider than she was.
It worked. Graham doubled her per-game output, averaging 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds, and the league noticed.
鈥淚 remember hearing on the sidelines when we played Colorado, 鈥楪et up on her, don鈥檛 let her shoot.鈥 We played Oregon and they are like, 鈥極h, shooter is in the corner,鈥欌 Graham said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 like, 鈥極MG! They really think that I can play.鈥
鈥淭his year I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l be underestimated. I鈥檝e been here for four years and they鈥檝e seen what I can do playing in different spots. I know what it feels like to be a post player and I know what it feels like to be a guard, because I played guard my sophomore year. I think just being able to play those two spots helped make my game more than just being a post or just being a guard.
鈥淚 can play both inside and out, and I think I can read post players really well. I鈥檝e played it and I鈥檝e defended it.
鈥淚 think me being versatile and being able to play a lot of positions helps.鈥
Off the court, Graham is a role model for her young teammates. She graduated in three years with a major in psychology and a minor in sociology. She is now handling an accelerated one-year graduate program in marketing.
Graham has seen the downs 鈥 a brutal freshman year that led to Butts鈥 termination 鈥 and endured coaching and roster turnovers. She鈥檚 the only player remaining from her 2015 recruiting class still on the roster.
Now, Graham is part of a full-blown rebuild that includes a new style of play and a complete culture change. Take practice.
鈥淒efinitely my first year we ran a lot, I mean a lot,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 really run as much with coach Barnes.
鈥淲e do a lot of playing, which I like a lot better than putting us on a line and making us run. I think just running and basketball shape are two different things. I鈥檇 rather play and be in shape than just running and hating coming to practice all the time.鈥
There are high expectations for her senior season: to win.
鈥淚 love to coach her,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 had a couple of different coaches, a lot of different assistant coaches, so for her there鈥檚 been a lot of change. And she鈥檚 resilient and she鈥檚 going to leave here with a graduate degree. So I am happy for her.鈥
