Lance Stephenson took an official visit to Maryland Saturday night for the team’s 73-68 victory over  Miami.

The 6-foot-5 Stephenson, listed as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2009 by the Hoop Scoop, sat front row and was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from fans who urged him to come to Maryland, according to reports.

Stephenson has listed St. John’s, Kansas, Memphis and USC as his top options, but Memphis is not actively recruiting him.

“I’m worrying about these schools right now and I’m still looking at it,” Stephenson, averaging 32 points and 12 rebounds, said recently.

Stephenson’s Lincoln High School teammate, 6-foot-8 senior forward James Padgett, committed to Maryland in September.

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Hoop Scoop released a list of 20 All-America teams and senior wing Lance Stephenson of Brooklyn Lincoln and sophomore wing Michael Gilchrist of St. Patrick of Elizabeth headlined the first team.

Below are several of the All-America teams.

Here are some interesting notes:

**Kevin Boyle’s St. Patrick team has three All-Americans among the first seven teams: Gilchrist (First); North Carolina-bound guard Dexter Strickland (Sixth); and junior guard Kyrie Irving (Seventh). (more…)

Villanova-bound guard Maalik Wayns of Philly Roman Catholic could miss as many as five weeks after twisting his knee in a game Tuesday. He underwent an MRI and was awaiting results.

He will miss tonight’s game against Chester in the Primetime Shootout at Villanova.

“I was told that I can miss anywhere from two [to] five weeks,” Wayns told the Philly Inquirer. “It’s real disappointing. I was looking forward to the big game with Chester. Hopefully, I will be able to play in the [Catholic League] playoffs, championship and state playoffs.” (more…)

If you missed the Rafael Nadal-Fernando Verdasco semifinal in the Australian Open, you missed one of the greatest matches in the history of tennis. Try to catch the replay (or at least the end of it) later today on ESPN.

I watched pretty much from start to finish, beginning at 3:30 a.m. and finishing up shortly after 9 a.m. Nadal finally won the five-set epic when his fellow left-handed Spaniard double-faulted on the third match point at 4-5 of the fifth set.

Nadal prevailed  6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 6-4 in 5 hours, 14 minutes. It was the longest match in the history of the Australian Open, where this year matches have taken place in 140-plus degree heat. (more…)

NEWARK – With 45 seconds remaining in a nip-and-tuck game between bitter in-state rivals, Jeremy Hazell drove into the paint and elevated between two taller defenders, only to let loose a soft floater that fell effortlessly through the net and extended his team’s lead to six points.

Hazell, a 6-foot-5 sophomore who more and more looks like he could have a future in the NBA, overcame a slow start and ultimately proved too dominant a force for Rutgers to overcome.

Read the full story here.

And below are a few choice quotes from the parties involved… (more…)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Watch the handshake.

If you want a true indication of how Rutgers coach Fred Hill and Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez feel about one another, be sure to check out their postgame handshake after tonight’s nationally televised game at The Prudential Center (9 p.m., ESPN2).

It likely won’t be warm greeting. They probably won’t swap stories about the game. And they won’t be making any dinner plans.

“I don’t know that the coach of Seton Hall and the coach of Rutgers need to be best of friends,” Linden (N.J.) High School coach Phil Colicchio said. “In coaching when you compete against somebody you don’t necessarily have to be their friend.

Read the full story here.

For more on tonight’s Rutgers-Seton Hall game…

***Read what Bob and Dan Hurley say about the teams.

***Check out the feature on Mike Rosario and the frustrations of his frosh year.

***Learn about who RU is targeting to play point guard next year.

Joel “Air Jamaica” Wright made  his college announcement today on SNY.tv.

Click above to see what he decided and read the full story here on SNY.tv. Because he will be 19 next year and too old to play in the PSAL, Jamaica will prep a year, likely at New Hampton (N.H.).

SNY.tv previously broke the commitment of Durand Scott of Rice to Miami.

“Obviously, we’re coming off a great win on Sunday against Georgetown….We had a great sold-out crowd. It was a great day at the RAC. It was great to get our first Big East conference win. WE really needed it.”

--Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez on the 65-60 win over then-No. 12 Georgetown

“We think Rutgers is a good team. They’ve played a great schedule. We’ve played a very tough schedule also. They have a great recruiting class with [Greg] Echenique and [Mike] Rosario.

“We know that they’re desperate to win because they’re 0-8 in the league…Then you throw everything out because it’s a rivalry game.”

–Gonzo on tonight’s tilt with the Scarlet Knights

“Sometimes you don’t always go head-to-head [in recruiting], but sometimes you do. There’s always an added thing when the metropolitan teams go against each other for the recruiting rights.”

–Gonzo on Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. John’s playing one another

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The person who will play point guard next year for the Rutgers basketball team is likely not someone on the current roster.

With the graduation of Anthony Farmer, the Scarlet Knights must find someone else to be their floor general for next year. Having swung and missed on Vincent Council of The Patterson (N.C.) School because he opted for Providence, Rutgers is now looking at James Beatty, a 6-2, 195-pound point guard at Miami Dade College who is averaging 13.6 points. He is a native of Wilmington, N.C.

Cincinnati, Baylor, Providence and NEbraska are also reportedly involved with Beatty. (more…)

Playing the final college basketball game at the 42-year Spectrum in Philadelphia, No. 21 Villanova stunned No. 3 Pitt 67-57 Wednesday night.

The win marked the first signature win of the year for the Wildcats (16-4, 4-3 Big East), and their first win over a ranked team in five tries this year. Pitt, a former No. 1, dropped to 18-2, 6-2.

Reggie Redding paced ‘Nova with 18 points, including a perfect 10-of-10 from the stripe. Dante Cunningham added 15 points and Scottie Reynolds 10.

Sam Young paced Pitt with 14 points and nine rebounds, Brad Wannamaker tallied 13 and Levance Fields 11. DeJuan Blair played in foul trouble for much of the game and finished with seven points and nine boards. (more…)