by Matt Wright
Destinee Wells, the standout point guard for Belmont University sits in her room and quietly answers questions about her play for the Bruins. You would never know it from her demeanor but the shy girl on the other end of the Zoom call is the reigning OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) Freshman of the Year and the MVP of the OVC tournament held last weekend. Some might say Destinee is a silent assassin on the basketball court. I tend to agree.
Greg Sage, the Assistant AD for Broadcasting & Media Relations at Belmont University reached out to Lakeland Currents this week and asked if we would like to interview Destinee. I said that would be great, but why Lakeland Currents? “Because she lists Lakeland as her hometown,” Mr. Sage said. “Really? I had no idea,” I said. “But yes, I’d love to talk to her.”
Destinee moved to Lakeland about 4 years ago to live with her father, Larry Wells. She attended Houston High School before accepting a D1 basketball scholarship for Belmont University. Belmont is located in Nashville. Destinee said basketball and Covid keeps her from getting back to Lakeland as much as she would like but when time allows she makes the drive back to Lakeland.
Destinee is on the verge of making history for Belmont University. While the Lady Bruins have played in the NCAA Tournament multiple times, they’ve never advanced past the first round. Destinee hopes to change that next week, “I want to make history and win championships,” she said while adding, “and I want to keep making history for the next 2 or 3 years.”
Destinee’s Head Coach, Bart Brooks, bragged on his point guard’s physical ability to play the game, but bragged more on her character. “She’s a heck of a player but an even better person. And her teammates love her.” Coach Brooks told a story about going to watch an AAU basketball tournament in Louisville, Kentucky shortly after being named the new head coach at Belmont. He was on his way to lunch and stopped at a random side court when he saw some jerseys that said Tennessee Flight. “I was watching this small point guard and nobody could guard her. I told my assistant coach at the time, ‘we have to recruit kids like this!’” That small point guard was Destinee Wells and the rest was history.
The Bruins will find out what seed they are this coming Monday in the NCAA selection show which can be seen on ESPN. Currently, Belmont is projected to be a 13 seed in the tournament but Coach Brooks believes they are better than a 13 seed. “I think too highly of this team and I think we’re better than that. But we will play whoever they put us up against.”
Before signing off for the evening, I asked Destinee if she had advice for any girls in Lakeland playing competitive sports. She encouraged Lakeland kids to keep chasing their dreams and “even when you hit adversity just never give up, just keep going.”
Will any future girls from Lakeland star at Belmont University? Hard to say, but Coach Brooks was excited to learn about the addition of Lakeland Prep. “Maybe we can have you and Destinee in for a basketball camp one day,” I said. It never hurts to plant a seed right? “Sounds great!” Coach Brooks said before ending the call.
