This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Deng Deng's wild, twisting ride as a Granger High basketball player has ended.

The embattled senior quit the team to focus on AAU basketball after first-year Granger coach Bernie Graziano did not invite the 6-foot-5 wing player to participate in the team's summer schedule. Deng's AAU coach, Alex Austin, blasted Graziano, saying, "He doesn't understand what he has."

Graziano defended the decision.

"He was not invited back to participate with anything in the summer because of the way he acted and the way he treated people involved with Granger basketball," Graziano said. "I let him know you can't act like that so you're not invited to participate with us in the summer."

Graziano said he informed Deng of the decision this spring and the next day Deng called to say he would not play again for Granger.

After Granger's season ended in a first-round tournament loss to West Jordan, Graziano left Skyline to replace coach Kurt Schneider. Weeks before, Schneider found himself at odds with Deng, who launched a Twitter tirade against the coach.

Graziano said that was not a factor in his decision to move on without Deng and that the talented player had a clean slate in the revamped program. But his attitude was a problem, Graziano said, and Deng was regularly away practicing with his AAU team, Salt Lake based A-Train.

Austin, the A-Train coach, said Deng is being recruited by Washington State, Washington, Portland and San Diego State.

Deng's fall from grace and exit from Granger underscore the tension between high school and AAU basketball. Reached Monday, A-Train coach Alex Austin said Deng had to spend his time preparing for summer camps and AAU tournaments, where he would be able to show off for college coaches.

"The kid has been going with me to big-time tournaments," Austin said, "he doesn't have time to go over there to a high school thing and work on layups."

Austin said college coaches don't get a complete picture of players in high school basketball. He blasted the competition level, as well as the competence of coaches — particularly Graziano.

"AAU ball and the shoe companies have taken over," Austin said. "They have. High school ball in Utah is non-existent, it doesn't matter. It's just a hobby sport for kids and politics. That's what it is. And the coach took it personal when Deng went to him and said, 'Look, I'm getting ready for these tournaments and the circuits.'"

Deng was voted to The Tribune's All-State second team in April. His departure leaves the Lancers with a large hole on the perimeter, although the team still has Isaiah Tademy, a talented wing who excelled last season as Granger's No. 2 scorer.

— Bill Oram