Long before DeShields was on Montana’s radar, he was an occasional starter at the point for Towson Catholic. After the Archdiocese of Baltimore closed the school’s doors in the summer of 2009, DeShields moved on to St. Vincent Pallotti in Laurel and took on a starring role for the Panthers.

Looking for more exposure after high school, DeShields joined the Baltimore Assault AAU team and spent the spring and summer with the adidas-sponsored program on the circuit. On July 5 of last summer, DeShields and his teammates boarded a van to a tournament. The night before, John Crowder, DeShields’ friend and teammate at Towson Catholic, was shot and killed.

“My coach told me after we left so I wouldn’t stay in Baltimore,” DeShields said. “When we were in the van, he just told me, ‘Keron, John died.’ I just broke down to tears. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to talk to nobody. We went to the tournament and I ripped it up for him.”

After the summer, DeShields took his first step away from Baltimore by enrolling at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vt. First-year coach Jesse Bopp said DeShields flourished in his new surroundings.

“He was our leading scorer … at around 20 points per game,” Bopp said. “He shot the ball extremely well for us. He played the 1 a lot. He turned into a very good defender for us over time. I would say his greatest strengths were making shots late in games, and certainly having the ability to score in multiple ways – from 3-pointers to getting to the basket. He can really go.”

DeShields essentially lived in the gym, working out three times a day during the season, and even lifting weights or shooting jumpers after games. If DeShields ever needed a little push to keep going, he turned to a father figure back home in former Dunbar star and Syracuse player Mike Lloyd, a good friend of the family.

“He stepped in like a man,” DeShields said. “He took care of me. He took me in like I was his son. That’s my father. I have two fathers now. I’m blessed with that. When things weren’t going good, Mike came along and my mother kept working hard. Most definitely, it was tough times, but going through things together with my mother, we put it all together.”

After Vermont Academy (17-14) finished its season, Bopp went to work trying to find the right college for DeShields. He sent out highlight tape to several mid-major programs. One interested party was Canisius associate head coach Rob Norris, a former Towson assistant. DeShields said Norris recommended him to Montana coach Wayne Tinkle, who was looking for a point guard to develop.

“It went from there,” DeShields said. “Coach Tinkle, he gave me a call. We talked and developed a good relationship. He’s a great guy. That’s how it basically happened.”

DeShields made his official visit to Montana two weekends ago. He bonded with the players and coaches, and was blown away by the mountainous campus. Bopp said the Grizzlies staff fell in love with the charismatic, eager-to-please DeShields right away. While he’s not a finished product, DeShields will do whatever it takes to get there.

“I think Keron will be successful at the next level, quite simply because he will never accept failure,” Bopp said. “I think when he has success, he’ll build on that. When he struggles, he’ll build on that, too. Keron wants to be the best. He thinks he is the best. I think when you have that idea of what you want, having the ability to work hard and not accept anything else, I think that’s what will propel him. That toughness and the ability to handle adversity are things his mom and Mike Lloyd have instilled in him.”

This summer, DeShields will make the nearly 2,300-mile trek from Baltimore to Missoula, leaving his hometown behind for the promise of something new. His past – both the painful memories and the positive experiences in Baltimore – only serve as motivation.

“It was a journey where I thought I wasn’t going to reach it,” DeShields said. “There was a time I would hold my head down [and think] ‘Man, I’m probably never going to get my goal.’ But I never stopped working. My friend, my brother, John Crowder, that was my man. He can’t be here, so I’m putting the work in. Whenever I think about him, I think about my family, my mother, everybody. No matter what, I can’t give up. I can’t.”

Photo by Kitty R. Charlton / Explore Howard