NEW YORK — At long last, the Lance Stephenson sweepstakes is over, and the talented Lincoln High School player is headed to Cincinnati of the Big East.
The story was first reported by SNY.tv on Tuesday morning and confirmed later Tuesday by a press release from the Cincinnati athletic department.
“We are very excited about Lance’s decision to become a Bearcat,” head coach Mick Cronin said. “Lance has terrific talent as a basketball player and is also a fierce competitor on the court. His desire to win will help us compete for a Big East Championship.
Xavier Henry may wind up at Kentucky when all is said and done.
Henry, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Putnam City (OK) Putnam High, is having second thoughts about playing for Bill Self at Kansas and still could end up playing with friends for Kentucky coach John Calipari.
“If it wasn’t for his momma saying that ‘I would not go to Kentucky, I would not move down to Kentucky,’ Xavier would have been at Kentucky,’” Carl Henry told the Chris and Cowboy show on 610-AM in Kansas City. “He would have been at Kentucky. So Xavier says, ‘I’m going to go to Kansas.’ Even though that’s what he wanted to do is go to Kentucky, play under Coach Cal. That’s what he wanted to do. I expressed this to (Kansas) coach (Bill) Self. I told him.” (more…)
A year from now, the Knicks will zero in on LeBron James and a high-profile class of free agents that also includes Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Steve Nash.
But beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, New York must worry about the immediate task at hand.
The Knicks can begin negotiating with their own restricted free agents, David Lee and Nate Robinson, and they can meet with other team’s free agents, such as Dallas point guard Jason Kidd.
The Rutgers basketball program appears to have solved its point guard problem.
James Beatty, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound point guard from Miami Dade College, has finally committed to the Scarlet Knights and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“He ended up choosing Rutgers over six or seven high-major offers,” said Miami Dade coach Matt Eisele, whose program sent seven players to Division I schools this year. “It’s been a really up-and-down exciting thing with James. It was almost to the point that it was the last man standing. He was unsure what he wanted to do and Rutgers did a great job staying on top of him and showing how much of a desire and need they had at that position.”
Rutgers hopes that Beatty can step in and play the point right away in the post-Anthony Farmer Era. (more…)
NEW YORK – At long last, the Lance Stephenson sweepstakes is over and the talented Lincoln High School player is going to the Big East.
“They’ve decided. He’s off to Cincinnati,” said a source close to the family with direct knowledge of the decision. “It’s a done deal. I am certain of this.”
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Stephenson and his family took an official visit to Cincinnati this past weekend, and by all accounts, it went well. He played pickup with the team and toured the campus.
Xavier and his father Carl Henry told the Kansas City Star that a month after Xavier committed to play for Kansas the family looked into a deal that would have sent Xavier to Europe next season.
Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano continues to stockpile big boys for his offensive line of the future.
Frank Quartucci, 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive guard from Hamilton West High School, committed on Monday. He reportedly chose the Scarlet Knights over interest from Penn State, Maryland, UConn and Buffalo.
“They liked my style and they’re excited about the new offensive line that’s coming in,” Quartucci told The Star-Ledger. “They told me that I could be a contributing factor to that. Coach Schiano has had many job offers from big-time schools and he believes that he can win a national championship here. And honestly, so do I.” (more…)
Rutgers’ offensive line is getting bigger by the moment.
Jorge Vicioso, 6-foot-6, 300 pound offensive lineman from Passaic (N.J.) High School, has verbally committed to Rutgers and will enroll in 2010
“That place is the perfect fit for him,” Passaic coach Billy Curry said. “The thing about Rutgers is, they’re going to take care of him academically. They’re going to give him the academic support that he needs. He’s a first generation football player. Nobody in his family every played football. I wanted Jorge to go somewhere where his mom and his brother can come down and see him.
“I just think that Rutgers is the best fit for him.” (more…)
NEW YORK – During a hearing Monday morning in Brooklyn Criminal Court, the sexual assault case involving Lance Stephenson and Darwin “Buddha” Ellis was adjourned until July 15.
Attorneys for both sides huddled briefly before Judge Alexander Jeong said, “We will meet on July 15.”
“It’s a process,” said Alberto Ebanks, Stephenson’s attorney.
Stephenson and Ellis are alleged to have groped a 17-year-old girl outside Lincoln High School last fall. If convicted, Stephenson could face up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
“Adam Zagoria sees the story behind the daily happenings.”
~ St. Anthony Coach Bob Hurley
Zagoria covers the New York Knicks and Big East hoops for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.
He is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, SI and Basketball Times.
NEW YORK — At long last, the Lance Stephenson sweepstakes is over, and the talented Lincoln High School player is headed to Cincinnati of the Big East. 
