Sounds like Lance may be open to staying home.
Do it Mitch!!!
[h2]Lance Has Final Four[/h2]
Posted by Adam Zagoria at
6/14/2008 12:43 AM and is filed under
Recruiting,
St. John's [img]http://blog.zagsblog.net/ThemeFiles/8\4\2\7\1\125619-117248\/images/printicon.gif[/img]
The first Big Storyline out of the Rumble in the Bronx is this:
Lance Stephenson's father hasadded St. John's to his son's list of potential colleges.
Four schools are currently in contention for the services of the 6-foot-5
Stephenson, the No. 7 overall player and No. 2 shootingguard in the Class of 2009.
"Right now we're down to Kansas, UCLA and USC," Stephenson Sr. said after his summer team, Raising Champions, blew a 21-point lead and wasupset by the Central Jersey Hawks, 66-64, in their first game at Fordham University. "St. John's, too. St. John's came on late after the team campthat they had last week. Lance liked what he saw there, so that's kind of the new team.
"We're trying to narrow it down at this point, so I would say that's about it."
I had previously repored that Kentucky was in the mix instead of USC, but Stephenson Sr. said that was not the case. Still, Lance said the list isfluid.
"It's a good tradition, good coach. I just want to be surrounded by good players and that's what these schools got," said Stephenson, whotallied 12 points in the loss, missing two potential go-ahead free throws with 5 seconds remaining.
"I'm looking forward to other schools, too. I love these schools, but I'm looking at other schools, too."
Stephenson will participate in the
Steve Nash Nike Skills Academy in Union, N.J. in late June in order to develop his point guard skillsbefore heading to Washington, D.C. for the U18 national team tryouts July 1-3.
"He's been working out hard," said his father, who launched the Raising Champions team this summer, triggering Lance's departure from theJuice All-Stars.
"I just hope I don't mess up, me coaching him," Lance Sr. said. "We got two losses now (including one in Arkansas). That's either meor...The first game is always tough.
"I think tonight this definitely was a coach's loss, so I learned a lesson today. Hopefully we finish up strong the rest of the way."
Stephenson has already visited three of the four schools on his list, with Kansas being the exception.
During his visit to USC last fall, Stephenson visited with
O.J. Mayo, who recently was accused by ESPN of taking cash and gifts inexchange for ultimately picking
Bill Duffy Associates as his agent. Mayo is projected to go in the top 6 or 7 in the June 26 NBA Draft.
"He had a good visit with them," the father said. "Coach (
Tim Floyd) really likes Lance a lot. He talks about how he'sbeen in the NBA and he's a good coach to develop guards, and his offense is geared for his two guards to score a lot."
Stephenson Sr. said a family attorney,
Albert Ebanks, was advising the family, and that he had no concerns about his son meeting the samefate as Mayo.
"We have a strong family on both sides that help us," he said. "We don't entertain it, so nobody's come up to us. We don't havethose problems. When we're in Coney Island, everything is like a normal teengaer. We don't have those temptations. Right now it's just aboutplaying.
"The people that fall into that temptation, I think wanted to do it. I'm about doing things the right way."
As for the other schools on the list, Stephenson Sr. praised St. John's head coach
Norm Roberts.
"I know it has been down in the past, but St. John's has a great tradition. Coach Roberts is trying, he's working hard. He's outrecruiting, trying to get some of the best caliber kids. He's working hard. With Lance working hard, I think it could definitely happen."
He also visited UCLA for the
Difference Matchup tournament in early April, when Stephensonplayed with
Renardo Sidney's LA Dream Team.
"And with UCLA, the last player to go to UCLA from New York City that I could remember was
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar," Stephenson Sr.said. "And that's a lovely legacy for Lance to follow behind, to out to L.A., not for the glammer and the glitz, but the competition and the PAC 10.That's one of the tougher conferences.
"Coach (
Ben) Howland loves New York City players."
Stephenson Sr. is also a big fan of Kansas Coach
Bill Self, whose team is the defending NCAA champion.
"Coach Self is a wonderful coach," the father said. "He's a player's coach. He turned a lot of players around hat might've beenheaded in the wrong direction. He's a real disciplinarian. What I like about him is, he wants to win."
No visit has yet been set to Kansas.
"We have to get to Kansas," he said. "Maybe when the summer cools down."
The first Big Storyline out of the Rumble in the Bronx is this: Lance Stephenson's father hasadded St. John's to his son's list of potential colleges.
