The world is waiting for Lance Stephenson to make his college decision and sources say he and his family are still huddling about where he should go.
Here’s what we know today:
**Despite rumors to the contrary, Bill Self will not come to New York this weekend to meet with Lance. Why? The recruiting period is over.
**Self cannot say enough good things about Xavier Henry.
“It’s a huge get,” Self said. “Not only did we get one of the best prospects in the country, a player that certainly fills a need on the perimeter for us, but we also recruited his family for several years and to see everything come full circle and come back to KU, I think it’s a huge get for the University of Kansas.”
**Despite the Henry-to-Kansas news, Stephenson is still said to be considering Kansas and Kansas could still take him. The Jayhawks would have to move one of their scholarship players — Brady Morningstar? — off scholarship. Still, that would leave things awfully crowded on the wing with Sherron Collins, Henry and Stephenson.
**Word is that Stephenson does not want to stay local at St. John’s and thinks that Gary Williams‘ system at Maryland is too structured. Both of these things make sense, but both St. John’s and Maryland have put the fullcourt press on recently.
That, in turn, could open up the chances of him going to Kansas or even Memphis.
“My guess is that he’s waiting to see what shakes out,” New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski said recently. “If Xavier Henry [goes to Kansas], then maybe [John] Calipari recruits [Stephenson to Kentucky]. Maybe with Josh Pastner [the new head coach] at Memphis, with Sean Miller at Arizona, maybe he’s waiting to hear if they’re looking for players like him.”
Still, sources at both Kentucky and Arizona said they were not actively recruiting Stephenson.
PARROM DOWN TO FOUR, WILL VISIT TWO
Kevin Parrom told Rivals.com he is down to four schools.
“It’s down to Pitt, Arizona, Virginia Tech, and Xavier,” Parrom told Rivals in a text message. “I take an official to Pitt on Sunday and an official to Arizona next weekend.”
St. John’s and South Carolina, which were on his initial list, did not make the cut.
Former Xavier coach Sean Miller and assistant Book Richardson are now at Arizona.
“He really likes Arizona and the coaching staff,” South Kent coach Kelvin Jefferson told the Arizona Daily Star.
Check the article out as it has quotes from yours truly as well as Dave Telep and Jeff Goodman.
Way to expound – “Plenty of teams” – I guess that ends the argument. Funny how when an East Coast team is favored to win, North Carolina comes to mind, nobody finds that outrageous and most folks are quick to jump on board and rave about how tough the ACC is and how nobody is going to stop that particular team… Yet, when Kansas is clearly the best team coming back, and let me emphasize that, the best team coming back, suddenly Kansas fans are foolish to think their team has any right to be a Pre-Season #1.
Sorry to burst your bubble BigBopper, but Kansas is the team to beat next year as much as your weak and tired argument woefully suggests otherwise… They return the top 10 scorers from a Sweet 16 team, including two of the best at their position in Sherron and Cole, they’ve got a Top 10 recruiting class coming in and the team goes 14 deep as of right now before redshirts are handed out… Give me a better team on paper… Kansas knows the pressure is on them next year – National Championship or the season is doomed a failure and everybody at the KU Basketball Offices knows that… Keep up the hate all you naysayers on the East Coast or wherever you’re at – because you’re good at what you do – Hate… Kansas is used to it, they hated on KU in 2008, and well, ask Coach Cal and Roy how that turned out… KU will be National Champs in 2010 – Because that’s how Jayhawks Do.
BigBopper,
Plenty of teams have a better team comming back next year than KU? That is just a stupid comment, it really is. I am a KU fan and its obvious you are a UK fan but don’t let your allegiance to UK blind you to the fact that KU is the team to beat going into next year. No one is saying that KU is unbeatable but you can’t seriously deny the fact that KU has the best team coming in next year and its not even close.
Don’t start dogging Henry because the only reason you are is because he chose KU over UK, there has been a lot of movement in the Top 10, and comparing what he did in the All Star Games to what he has accomplished over his High School years and AAU time is just ridiculous. If UK had signed Henry you would have been on here talking about how UK was gonna be a favorite going into next year.
Being a preseason favorite worked out pretty well for UNC this past year or did I miss something??? And actually the recruiting season is over according to what Adam has already reported, the only thing we are waiting on now is final visits and where everyone will land.
Before last year you guys haven’t won in 20 years @ Freddy. Nobody is worried about KU except for those chumps in the Big 12.
KU will be National Champs in 2010 – Because that’s how Jayhawks Do.
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Let’s see if your still talking smack after your pi$$ ant team and coach lay an egg in the big dance next season…
If Cal gets Wall and adds another pg for depth, I would take UK or UNC’s chances to make to the title game over KU and their usual overrated hype all day long…
BTW – Wall >>>>Henry and his brother combined……
Funny that a kid commits to a school only because his mom pressured him too after even committing to another school the year before and KU fans act like it was his dream to play for the gayhawks…..
You guys are pure delusional…
Teams should be worried because KU is returning all major contributors from last year and signed a Top 10 recruiting class. Also we still have a shot at Lance no matter what anyone says. So really the question becomes why wouldn’t you be worried about the Jayhawks? Even being the favorites next year I am worried about having to play Texas this upcoming season, they look like they are going to pretty good with who they have returning (James will come back) and who is coming in. The point is there are teams out there that everyone worries about so to say nobody will be worried about the Jayhawks is stupid.
“Funny how these Kansas fans think the world revolves around them and their team. I’m sure Stephenson can’t wait to play second fiddle behind the prom queen Henry! And pretending like just because he is sitting on the bench and playing for Mr personality that he is guaranteed a National Title is nothing but a joke! If he is smart he will look for a team that won’t throw him under the bus the way that idiot Self did. UK would be the perfect spot to exact some revenge, win a title and get to the next level all in one year. Get on the bus Lance, Coach Cal would never use you the way KU did…..”
Talk about the ironic comment to date on this blog!!!!!
First, the word usage and grammar is horrible, which points to an obvious Kentucky fan, check below.
“And pretending like just because he is sitting on the bench and playing for Mr personality that he is guaranteed a National Title is nothing but a joke”
Wow…..
Moving on, I find it amusing he accuses Coach Self of throwing Lance under the bus, but yet didn’t Cal basically do that with the entire Memphis basketball program? The fact that he was trying to recruit the Henry’s whose brother who was a Memphis player, and other Memphis recruits is deplorable! Cal could have taken a different approach and made a choice to do some heavy recruiting next year. Instead he finds it more practical to serve his megalomaniac ways and try to rape and pillage as much as possible from Memphis this year.
Have fun with that UK!!! You screwed a good thing when you let Billy go!
They can’t see through the PHOG, man. They can’t see through the PHOG.
Coach Cal = Automatic win for Big 12 opponent
Let’s see, Three Final Fours in the last nine years, two National Title trips and one victory… You can probably count on one hand how many teams have done that in the last decade, UNC, MSU, UConn… Hey, everybody does that though right? I forgot how superior every team outside of the Big 12 is… Well, don’t be worried about KU then… Like I said, the haters have plenty of hate but not much else to offer… See you Busters in Indy next year.
I don’t think Billy was a good thing @ all. He had way too many DUI’s that went public and he didn’t like doing the little things like kissing alumni ass and attending banquets and make public speeches for the school. He wasn’t a big community guy, so with that I think he wasn’t right for the job.
You are delusional to take UK over KU even if they get Wall. Will UK be good, yes, but inexperienced, and as well as all know experience plays a big role when it comes Tourny Time. As for UNC they will be good but they have to replace a lot next year and will be inexperienced at key positions next year as well.
There is a lot of “if’s” in your scenerio for UK to even be considered, where as KU is already the favorite witout the “if’s.” I will be laughing when UK doesn’t get Wall or another PG and they struggle next year with no PG (which Cal’s Offense needs to be successful) and they barely get into the tournament, while KU is locking up a Number 1 Seed.
Don’t let your allegiances blind you to the fact that KU is the best team heading into next year.
I’m not hating on KU @ Fred. I just don’t like their arrogant fans like you, who think they’re gonna win every year, so I’m busting your ballz a bit. It’s hard to guarantee a championship when you’re not the one playing, don’t you think?
Let’s see if your still talking smack after your pi$$ ant team and coach lay an egg in the big dance next season…
If Cal gets Wall and adds another pg for depth, I would take UK or UNC’s chances to make to the title game over KU and their usual overrated hype all day long…
BTW – Wall >>>>Henry and his brother combined……
Wow, I can sense the rage in which a tool like Bigpooper wrote that post. If the Henry’s chose UK this guy would be ranting and raving, about how great they were and how they will restore UK back to glory.
It’s amazing how guys like him are willing to invest all their hope in a coach who seems to choke at every chance he gets at a shot at a title.
He is a good recruiter I will give him that (in the sense that he is good passing money into agents and AAU coaches hands) but loves choking see Missouri and Kansas game.
KU fans think that the world revolves around our program????? You are joking right? Its funny how you guys were salivating for the chance to have X, and now he isn’t coming to your program, you trash him. You guys grab Calipari because you’re desparate, willing to do the slimy recruiting things that Cal does, and you think that your program is still the “elite” program by quoting stats from 10 years ago. UK is one of the storied basketball programs in the country, but with Cal in charge, all that will happen is you miss your free throws in the final minutes and get your a**es out-coached in tight games against real competition.
Yeah, but you can consistently predict who could win the championship this years UNC two years ago Florida, UConn a few years back. It is not arrogant to say KU is the odds on favorite to win the title, if they truly are the odds on favorite. That is not arrogance, its a coincidence that we are KU fans who state KU is the odds on favorite to win the title.
Arizona will not be a national title contender this year! Or next! Or the year after that. Why would Stephenson want to go to a program that has be decimated, and is in a MAJOR rebuilding project?
Who is consistently predicting those teams will win, the media is. Is the media right every year? Hell no. You guys came on late last season, made a run in the tournament and all of sudden you have a championship team?! Get the hell outta here.
Let’s not get into the whole “you’re not playing” argument, that’s asonine and a complete cop-out…. I guess when your team sucks and you can’t expect to win every year, that’s your problem… And guess what, the nice thing about being a fan is you can guarantee a championship – whether its rational or not is another thing – but any college basketball fan with an iota of sense – which eliminates a couple of you imposters on here – knows that KU is loaded next year… But I guess its taboo on here to represent your team and be proud of one of the greatest and winningest college basketball programs… But I guess being a KU Fan – and yes – expecting to make a titel run every year, well, I guess that’s our problem.
Sherron Collins on Kansas’ success: “It’s what we’re supposed to do. It’s Kansas.”
Moving on, I find it amusing he accuses Coach Self of throwing Lance under the bus, but yet didn’t Cal basically do that with the entire Memphis basketball program? The fact that he was trying to recruit the Henry’s whose brother who was a Memphis player, and other Memphis recruits is deplorable! Cal could have taken a different approach and made a choice to do some heavy recruiting next year. Instead he finds it more practical to serve his megalomaniac ways and try to rape and pillage as much as possible from Memphis this year.
Have fun with that UK!!! You screwed a good thing when you let Billy go!
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Yeah just think if we had Billy G we would have no D Cousins, no pg prospects and no hope for next season…
Cal never once recruited over a guy at the very end of the signing period like that cornhole Self did….Mainly because he never had too…
Henry fell in the cornhole’s lap simply because his mommy pressured him to go there rather than play for the Coach he originally committed too…I find that rather pathetic not to mention how classless it was to just ignore a kid like Stephenson who truly wanted to play for KU all along (why I have no idea)….
Self and KU fans are the biggest hypocrite losers there are outside of dUKe fans…No wonder everyone else loves it when they underachieve…
Yea it’s Kansas alright, every 20 years. LOL. Don’t make a promise you can’t keep Freddy.
I love how these idiot KU fans think Coach Cal should just have ignored the recruits who wanted to follow him to UK, but have no problem stealing one of his recruits who’s mommy practically forced him to play for KU while throwing another kid under the bus who had wanted to play there,,,,
What hypocrisy!
Why aren’t you morons on here suggesting that the Henry’s stay committed to Memphis rather than switch to your saintly gayhawks?
Answer – You are farm animal loving hypocrites, that’s why!
And your argument that a fan can say his tema is gonna win every year is complete bull. If I were a fan of a team let’s say Manhatan for example, and said we’re gonna win this year, you guys would kill me. Just like the UK fan is saying if they get Wall they’ll win and you guys are killing him. Saying there is no way they will win, how can you say that without any evidence? You haven’t even seen what UK or KU’s floor product looks like. All you have to go off of is what the team looks like on paper. Teams that look good on paper aren’t always the best.
They made the sweet 16, why wouldn’t they think they are the most dominant team going into next season and possibly the greatest team to ever play the game, period?
LOL!!
Came on late? We were undefeated in Big 12 play until late in the season. No one expected us to be good because we had lost a lot from the previous year team, but we were, and we got better throughout the year. Collins and Aldrich turned into the the best PG and C combination in the country, that is one reason why KU is the favorite right now. Not to mention they didn’t lose anyone that contributed last year on a Sweet 16 team and they signed 3 highly recruited players.
When it comes to predicting its always the media making the predictions that everyone talks about because they are the ones on TV with exposure. When everyone said UNC was gonna be the favorite for this past year no one really doubted it. But you are right it is all of a sudden but we are a championship team and KU just has to go out and win it now. Will it be easy no, it never is, no one is saying KU will be undefeated but we do have the best returning team in the country. By the way if not KU then who is the favorite going into next year?
“Cal never once recruited over a guy at the very end of the signing period like that cornhole Self did….Mainly because he never had too…”
Bigblopper Coach Cal just did that, read above zasblog posts. He luered yet another original Memphis recruit to play for him at Kentucky……..Either your blind, or an idiot and I honestley can’t tell probably both.
This next post is where it gets good
“I love how these idiot KU fans think Coach Cal should just have ignored the recruits who wanted to follow him to UK, but have no problem stealing one of his recruits who’s mommy practically forced him to play for KU while throwing another kid under the bus who had wanted to play there,,,,”
So in the first quote we have Bigblopper denying the fact that Cal recruited someone at the very end of a signing period and then we have him saying how it is ok that Coach Cal in fact DID recruit players away from Memphis!!!!!
Finish it off with his last line
“What hypocrisy!”
HA are you kidding me? He is calling KU hypocrites? I don’t have to make a case for Bigbloppers hypocrisy he does it himself!!!!!! This guy will argumentaively slit his own throat, he is a spitten image of the University of Kentucky Pussycats new coach……….A walking train wreck of vanity and contradcictions.
Guys. Isn’t this a Lance Stephenson thread? Can you go somewhere else and throw rocks at each others teams?
“They made the sweet 16, why wouldn’t they think they are the most dominant team going into next season and possibly the greatest team to ever play the game, period?
LOL!!”
Show me one post that stated KU is possibly the greatest team to ever play the game?
Also, this same guy who states KU doesn’t deserve to be considered to win the national tournament after making it to the Sweet 16 states about Kentucky’s chances:
“If Cal gets Wall and adds another pg for depth, I would take UK or UNC’s chances to make to the title game over KU and their usual overrated hype all day long… ”
He is making this statement about a Kentucky team who failed to make it to the tournament!!!!!! But then goes on to act as if by thinking KU could win the tournament that we are the idiots?
KU 2009=Sweet Sixteen
UK2009=Looses in the Elite Eight………of the NIT
his prediciton UK will somehow be better?
WOW!
HA are you kidding me? He is calling KU hypocrites? I don’t have to make a case for Bigbloppers hypocrisy he does it himself!!!!!! This guy will argumentaively slit his own throat, he is a spitten image of the University of Kentucky Pussycats new coach……….A walking train wreck of vanity and contradcictions.
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Notice the cornhole fan did not argue the facts I presented against his team and coach, but instead tries to create a new argument against Coach Cal…
Also note how he ignores my accusation of recruiting OVER a player at the end of the recruiting period and instead just accuses Coach Cal of recruiting at the end of the recruiting period, which is a simply ludicrous criticism since he has no choice but to do so and is hardly a crime for any coach to recruit up until the deadline as long as it is done without throwing another kid under the bus who had been counting on being a pivotal part of the team’s plans….
Sorry, you guys fail at everything……
Any new news on Lance?
Xavier’s Mom: You’re going to KU young man, you ain’t visiting no damn UK.
Xavier: But mom, I don’t wanna go there and I already told the Shiver CJ and I were gonna visit this weekend. Their fans prefer ballhogging Lance over me, I’m a team player and I can actually shoot!
Carl Henry: Ahhh, no buts about it. You’re gonna listen to your mother and me. We know best. Besides, I already told Adam Zagoria that you weren’t visiting UK and I don’t want him or myself for looking like an a-hole for putting out the wrong information again.
Xavier (with tears coming down his cheek): Fine, I’ll make the announcement tomorrow.
Carl Henry: Good, it’s settled then. I’ll have our lawyers draw up a speech for you. Keep it short and sweet and don’t answer any questions as to why you chose KU over UK.
What facts did you present? When it comes to the recruitment of X he was set to announce for KU and then big bro went to Memphis, and he changed to play with big bro (I am sure the was a coincidence). Then after X opted out of someplace he didn’t really want to be, he was re-recruited by UK & KU and KU won out. The point people are making about Cals recruiting is that it just looks shady when he says he is recruiting any player that had signed with Memphis, but all of a sudden X choses KU, and Dodson opts out of Memphis, commits to UK all in less than 24 hrs, it just looks a little shady. If Lance was really thrown under the bus then why did he wait to announce for another school if KU pissed him off so much, he didn’t because KU didn’t throw him under the bus he just doesn’t want to play with X and Self was straight with him saying they wanted to sign both.
You must have been there during this conversation, you are just being a KU hater.
Face it, you guys don’t have 20-25 scholarships like the football team does. If Lance really wanted to go to KU regardless of X he would have not waited for X to announce. so your chances of still signing him are very slim. We’ve all seen the footage of X say he wouldn’t have a problem playing with Lance but i’ve yet to hear that said from Lance. Nobody knows where he’s going. All of your sources are wrong. The decision obviously wasn’t as easy as the media and public assumed.
Lance did really want to go to KU but he didn’t want to play with X, because he wanted the spotlight and didn’t want to share it. However, now that X has decided, Lance is still considering KU and the reason is because once he thought it over it may be still the best option. That is my opinion, wanted to make that clear because I don’t want someone taking that as fact.
You guys didn’t want X a couple days ago. My, how things have changed in the PHOG.
You guys at UK really wanted X and now he is just a mommas boy who’s skill are dropping off.
Sry KU fan, ain’t buying it. I’m sure he already thought about the idea of playing with X @ KU and his conclusion was he didn’t like it. That’s why he waited to see where he was going.
I’m not a UK fan. I’m just a humble observer of the college hoops world.
Then why is it still being reported that he is considering KU? He waited to see where X would go because he didn’t initally want to play with X, but maybe after thinking about it he realizes that the best place to improve, get some good pub, and win is at KU. I don’t wanna hear this he should go to UK, Memphis, or AZ, the only teams that have a shot at him are KU, Maryland, & Saint Johns.
Why would Lance want to go to KU after Self essentially b*tch slapped him, threw him to the curb, and then signed X?
Lance is not going to KU.
If you were a “humble” observer you would be able to say that KU is loaded and the favorite to win the title next year.
It was Lance’s decision to not commit, Self went to NYC talked to Lance and told him they wanted him but they were actively recruiting X but they wanted they both. Not really a bitch slap, just being strait instead of lying saying you are the one we want we are not going after X and then get the commitment and turning around and going after X, that would be a bitch slap.
All but a wk ago Adam was saying Maryland was definitely out of it but here we are a wk later and Gary is @ Lance’s house talking about how big of an impact he would have on the program and how he could change the recruiting landscape @ College Park. Needless to say, Adam could be wrong again.
Lance is the one that backed out of his commitment when the whole Cal thing went down. KU and Self didn’t throw this kid under the buss. KU would have taken either kid. As for X, you can obviously tell that people are upset that he didn’t pick UK. Saying that his parents forced them to go to KU is stupid. If they were going to force them they would have done it to begin with and the kids would have never signed with Memphis. KU was being talked about as one of the favorites for next season without Lance or X. And for you that say it’s just a team on paper until they play, well no it isn’t. KU returns every player from last year and they were picked as a legitimate favorite just the way they were. Getting X is just icing on the cake. Not all KU fans are running around saying they will automatically win a title. That is stupid and I personally hate being the favorite going in to the season but KU is going to be very good next year. So will Duke, Texas, Purdue and Michigan State just to name a few.
He was forced, man. We seen footage of him saying he was gonna visit then a couple days later his dad says he’s not gonna visit and he’s going to KU? Seems pretty shady to me. How did he come to the conclusion he wanted to go to KU? If he wanted to follow his parents footsteps he would have chose KU the first time around. And they forced him this time cause they were getting sick of being bombarded with cameras and microphones everywhere they went. That’s all Carl kept saying ” I’ll be glad when all this is over and ” I wish they would just get on with it so they can prepare for where they’re headed next year.” And like I said before. You scumbag KU fans were suggesting that you make websites geared toward detering Xavier from comitting to KU. You guys never wanted him in the first place. Only ppl that wanted him in KU was his parents and MAYBE the coaching staff. LOL.
And didn’t one of your beloved fellow fans say that his source told him that Self suggested he held off on his announcement so that they could see if his website didn’t violate any NCAA rules?
Can Lance even get into St. Johns and Maryland? LOl
X said he would visit UK, then Carl (dad) said there would be no visit, then X called dad and said he wanted to visit, and finally CJ said there was not gonna be a visit. Plese get your facts straight. X did want to come here but he felt it necessary to go and play with with his brother and when he got in his car wreck his mother wanted him to go to Memphis (Reported on Rivals radio by Jayhawkslant guy) to keep the family togather, again please get your facts straight. Also, the coaches from the get go always wanted X and they were crushed when he chose Memphis, as soon as he was released they wanted him and that never wavered (Bill Self interview). And finally, not all KU fans were in the boat of not wanting X, so once again get your facts stright.
I love all the hate coming from everyone about Kansas. Bill Self must be doing something right to strike a nerve with all you people. It is a great time to be a KU fan.
And Gohard aka Sling Blade with your spelling, punctuation, and grammar I would seriously doubt you could get accepted to cosmetology school. You strike me as the type of guy that hangs around the men’s room and smells other people’s shi# all day long. As a KU fan it’s good to be the king. Keep the hate coming, we love it!!!
The best you can you do to come up with a defense is talk about my spelling, grammar, and say that “I’m hating” LOL. What a cop out. Ha! You guys are pathetic. @ flimsy mizzou.