Lance Stephenson

The 6-foot-5 Brooklyn native started and shot 2-for-10 for 7 points in Cincinnati’s season-opening come-from-behind 69-62 victory over Prairie View A&M.

He was 0-for-3 from beyond the arc while adding 4 rebounds, 2 assist and 1 turnover in 22 minutes.

“He was a nervous wreck,” Bearcats coach Mick Cronin said. “He’ll get better. I have to make sure he isn’t putting too much pressure on himself. When we were struggling, he was the one guy getting visibly more physical. You could see his frustration and his desire to win. I have to teach him how to channel that and there is no such thing as a ten point shot. He was trying to do everything himself, which is good and bad.”

The Bearcats trailed 38-30 at halftime before outscoring Prairie View 39-24 in the second half behind 12 of Deonta Vaughn’s 15 points.

Vaughn came off the bench in the second half after going 0-for-6 to start the game.

“He responded,” Cronin said of Vaughn. “Deonta is a great kid, but he has to give us better leadership. He has to make sure these guys are ready to play. Before the game when coaches aren’t in there, he has to make sure they are ready to play. Upsets happen in college basketball.”

Cincinnati made just 39 percent of its shots, while shooting 27 percent (8-for-30) from beyond the arc.

On Stephenson, Vaughn said his teammate was clearly “frustrated” in his college debut.

“That is for any freshman that comes in,” he said. “Your first couple of games is the hardest for you. I just have to talk to him and tell him how it will be for the rest of the season. He doesn’t have to force anything, and just let it come naturally.”

Cronin won’t make Stephenson available to the media until December, but hoops fans will have plenty of chances to see Lance on TV. In perusing my TV schedules, I see that both SNY and ESPN are showcasing a whole lotta Lance.

Wednesday – Toledo at Cincinnati, 7:30, SNY

Nov. 23 – Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt, 5, ESPN 2 (Maui Invitational)

Nov. 24 – Cincinnati vs. Maryland/Chaminade, 1:30/7, ESPN2

Nov. 25 – Cincinnati vs. TBD, ESPN2

Dec. 1 – Texas Southern at Cincinnati, 7:30, SNY

Dec. 19 – Lipscomb at Cincinnati, 2 p.m., SNY

WALL HITS BUZZER-BEATER

Kentucky freshman John Wall hit a pullup 15-foot buzzer beater to lead No. 5 Kentucky to a 72-70 victory over Miami (Ohio).

“When it hit the bottom of the net, it was a relief, a great feeling,” Wall said, according to The AP.

“John Wall catching it and going, I loved it,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said.

The 6-foot-4 Wall, projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, finished with 19 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. Wall sat out Kentucky’s season opener against Morehead State because of amateurism issues.

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Arizona freshman Kevin Parrom of New York will miss at least a month with a stress fracture in his left foot, according to the Arizona Daily Star…No. 12 UConn led by just one at the half before beating Colgate 77-63 beind Stanley Robinson’s 18 points and Kemba Walker’s 16 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. Gavin Edwards added 14 points……Kyle Singler put up 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 11 Duke to a 74-49 win over Coastal Carolina…Syracuse comes to Madison Square Garden this week for the Coaches vs. Cancer event and will play Cal in the first game Thursday night. Defending NCAA champ North Carolina meets Ohio State in the other semi. Read my feature advance on Syracuse’s zone here…Memphis added to its recruiting haul by landing 6-7 center Tarik Black of Memphis Ridgeway, the No. 47 prospect in the nation. Josh Pastner’s club now has seven incoming recruits, five of whom are ranked among the Top 70 by Rivals. Rivals ranks Memphis as the No. 1 overall recruiting class for 2010.

(Photo courtesy Michael Keating, Cincinnati Enquirer)

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“Clear,” Cincinnati coach  Mick Cronin said by text.

Cincinnati was informed early Thursday evening and Stephenson then scored nine points on 4-of-14 shooting in Cincinnati’s 86-58 victory over Saginaw Valley State. He played 18 minutes off the bench.

“I am happy to be able to put this behind me,” Stephenson said in a statement. “Since I committed to the Bearcats back in the summer, all I have wanted to do was get here and start playing ball with my teammates. I want to thank everyone that has given me encouragement and support during this, especially my family, coaches and teammates. They have been with me every step.”

The 6-foot-5 Stephenson was being looked at by the NCAA for amateurism issues. He was involved in the “Born Ready” Internet series and a film called “Gunnin’ For That No. 1 Spot.”

Fellow freshman John Wall of Kentucky must sit two games, including an exhibition, because of his association with an agent, Brian Clifton, who served as Wall’s AAU coach. Wall will also have to repay about $800 related to college visits he took during the time Clifton coached him.

The all-time leading scorer in New York State history during his career at Brooklyn Lincoln High School, Stephenson was named the Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year. He averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists last season at Lincoln.

He scored 22 points in 25 minutes in a scrimmage Oct. 24, impressing observers.

“The guy can play offense,” Cronin told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He’s got a lot of natural, God-given ability. I think our style of play will help Lance.”

Stephenson chose Cincinnati in June, a story first reported by SNY.tv.

The Bearcats were picked to finish seventh in the Big East and open regular-season action on Nov. 16 against. Prairie View A&M.

Stephenson and his teammates will play Vanderbilt Nov. 23 in the Maui Invitational on ESPN.

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The Baltimore-based company also has sponsorship deals with several colleges, including Maryland, Auburn and Texas Tech.

On the high school level, Under Armour sponsored the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event in Rucker Park this summer, outfitting every player in Under Armour gear.

Under the leadership of Kris Stone, Under Armour’s Director of Basketball, the company also sponsors 27 high school teams, including Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, the former home of Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson.

You may recall that Lance and his family took a tour of the Under Armour facilities in Maryland during his official visit to campus there last year.

The NFL Combine is now officially presented by Under Armour and all the athletes at last February’s event wore Under Armour apparel.

Can the NBA Combine be far behind?

“I think Kris Stone and Under Armour are on a good early track to penetrate the basketball market,” legendary grassroots basketball figure Sonny Vaccaro said in a phone interview. “Their visibility with football already is an entree for them. It’s a long hard road that they’re in but they have the motivation and wherewithal to do it. It’s a hard road now, harder than ever before.”

So, what’s next for the folks at Under Armour in their attempt to challenge Nike and adidas and take the basketball world by storm?

The company, which earned $725 million in net revenue last year, just announced a partnership with IMG to create a standardized scoring system for youth athletic performance known as “Combine360.”

According to a release, the “Combine360″ will measure and record sport-specific ability and mental aptitude, nutritional level, ability to communicate and a variety of other performance disciplines allowing athletes of all abilities from across the world to compare their scores.

“Consistent with Under Armour’s global mission to make all athletes better, IMG Performance is a pioneer in the field of athletic and character development for competitors of all ages,” said Kevin Plank, CEO and Founder of Under Armour. “This partnership represents a marshalling of the most passionate, scientific and innovative thinkers in the sports performance space and, together, we will establish the ultimate benchmarks by which all athletes, trainers and coaches will be measured. We have always said that the combine is the one true measure of an athlete’s potential, and we believe each athlete’s Combine360 score will be as universal as an SAT score in terms of making all athletes better.”

What does this mean for both companies and what do they stand to gain?

Well, for Under Armour it means gaining access to the many elite athletes that IMG trains in a variety of sports at its Bradenton, Fla., academy. Under Armour has begun providing apparel, footwear and accessories to IMG athletes starting in the 2009-10 school year.

“Under Armour has come on board across everything at IMG,” said IMG basketball coach Dan Barto.

IMG, in turn, is now associated with a youth-oriented company that is gaining traction in areas like New York City.

“Our kids love the sneakers, shirts and shorts,” Thomas Jefferson coach Lawrence Pollard told the Daily News in August. “If you look at it, Adidas is focused on the NBA now, and Nike is Nike. But Under Armour is sponsoring three boys teams in Brooklyn, and kids in our neighborhoods don’t always have nice things.”
Steve Battista, Under Armour’s Senior Vice President of Brand, told the Daily News: “This generation is our generation.”

These combines, said Barto, are the future of basketball, and will replace exposure camps that were once in vogue, but have become increasingly perceived as money makers that only service a handful of players.

“Kids and parents want more bang for their buck”, said Barto, “and with a more scientific approach to development, every player at every skill level can be tested and receive the evaluation and improvement plan necessary to make significant gains more rapidly.”

“We will have data comparison, protocols, and online information and demonstrations available for continued assessment, analysis and development, giving players focus areas and cues to use to improve in specific areas.”

“Our vision is to be the first and best at scientifically formatting the evaluation process for basketball skill training.  We are developing the science and testing procedures in a basketball specific combine format, rather than just putting a stopwatch on guys in the three cone drill.

“We will be able to tangibly and scientifically break down the difference between a Jordan Hill and a B.J. Mullens.  Right now, there is a gaping hole in this area of evaluation.”

IMG Basketball Academy Director Mike Moreau said: “Our goal is to continue to blaze the trail and lead through our experience and expertise in the way basketball players are evaluated in a combine setting.”

With the IMG Basketball Academy firmly established, and with Under Armour as a new partner, the foundation for changing forever the way basketball players are evaluated and developed has now been laid.

This translates not only into young players developing for the next level, but may also have ramifications for the NBA level.

Under Armour already sponsors the NFL Combine and sources said the company is eying the NBA Combine next.

“The last two players that were evaluated and used some of the parts of the program played at major DI programs [Corey Brewer of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Alonzo Gee, who is in the D-League]. They said they have never seen anything close to it,” Moreau said.

On the grassroots front, Barto implies other bigger projects may be around the corner.

“If the new collective bargaining agreement limits players options out of high school, then a real option for the high level players would be to spend their junior and/or senior year here at IMG, and then a year or two in Europe like Brandon,” he said.

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To Cincinnati.

“I think it’s great for all the best players in New York to get out of New York and come to Cincinnati,” Cronin said with a smile in an interview you can see in the Video Player at right. “We hope that everybody follows Lance.”

The 6-foot-5 Stephenson was voted the Big East preseason Rookie of the Year, but is still awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse on his amateurism issues.

“We’re waiting,” Cronin said. “He’s cleared academically so we’re just waiting on the amateur thing. He’s not the only one waiting. A lot of the elite players [John Wall, Renardo Sidney] are going through it…Hopefully, it’s done before the first game, I know that.”

Cincinnati was picked No. 7 in the Big East preseason poll and the Bearcats figure to challenge for an NCAA Tournament bid.

They return three potential future NBA players in Stephenson, Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates, along with experienced juniors Rashad Bishop and Larry Davis. Redshirt freshman Cashmere Wright takes over at the point and freshman wing Sean Kilpatrick joins Stephenson in the recruiting class.

“You’ve got to have players,” Cronin said. “There’s no doubt we have some potential pros on our team. I think a couple guys are probably surefire pros. We’re going to play some freshman point guards, but we’re a team that has a chance this year.

“We have a little secret weapon that becomes eligible in December, Ibrahima Thomas, a 7-foot forward who can shoot the 3.”

HARRIS, IRVING HIGHLIGHT SHARETTE DIXON CLASSIC

The two most important things in Sharette Dixon’s life were her family and education.  Now that she has passed away, her husband Kimani Young and the NYC basketball community are banding together to make sure that her children get the support and education that they need in the future. On Sunday, Nov. 8, New York City legends Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson and a host of others NYC basketball personalities will participate in the Sharette Dixon Classic, a showcase of the top talent from New York and New Jersey.

“Sharette was a wonderful mother and a talented professor,” said Kenny Smith, who etched his name in New York City basketball lore before going on to a successful career as both an NBA player and television analyst. “This event is really a celebration of her life and the values that she stood for.”

Former NYC legend and NJ Net Kenny Anderson will serve a host for the event, which will feature some of New York and New Jersey’s most promising players. The event will take place at Bishop Ford HS in Brooklyn and will begin with a Girls’ showcase at 4 pm, followed by a Boys’ showcase at 6 pm.

Anderson, who is still considered one of the finest point guards ever to come out of New York City, said that participating in the event was an easy choice.

“When you have hard times, the first place you look for support is your family,” said Anderson. “Kimani and I have been friends for more than 20 years.  Here in New York, the basketball community is like one giant family and we look out for each other.  Anything I can do for Kimani and his kids I will do.”

True to Dixon’s nature, the event will recognize players who have excelled academically as well. One player from each participating team will receive the Sharette Dixon Academic Excellence Award, which is given to players who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better throughout their high school career.

The Sharette Dixon Memorial Classic will take place on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Bishop Ford High School in Brooklyn (500 19^th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11215). The girls game is at 4 and the boys game at 6.

Proceeds from the event will support a family education and child care fund being established in Mrs. Dixon’s memory for her three children.

###

Featured participants in the Sharette Dixon Classic include:

Boys Game

Kyrie Irving (#6 rated Senior in the nation; committed to Duke)

JayVaughn Pinkston (#1 Senior in NYC; uncommitted)

Tobias Harris (#7 Senior in the nation; uncommitted)

Myck Kabongo (Top 25 Junior in the nation; committed to Texas)

Sterling Gibbs (member of USA Basketball 16/U team)

Kyle Anderson (member of USA Basketball 16/U team)

Girls Game

Jennifer O’Neal (#30 Senior in the nation; committed to Kentucky)

Bria Hartley (#14 Senior in the nation; committed to UConn)

Jaleah Sidney (#? Senior in the nation; committed to Syracuse)

Dasia Simmons (#42 Senior in the nation; committed to Rutgers)

Lauren Mincy (#23 Senior in the nation; committed to Maryland)

Briyona Canty (#9 Junior in the nation; uncommitted)

Bria Smith (#5 Junior in the nation; uncommitted)

Academic Excellence Awards:

Kyrie Irving, St. Patrick’s

Hakeem Harris, Blair Academy

Omar Calhoun, Christ the King

Bria Hartley, North Babylon

Korin Robinson, Mary Louis

Ciarra Calhoun, JHS 51

OUT ON THE WEEKEND

Seton Hall hosts Devon Collier of St. Anthony and Fuquan Edwin of Paterson Catholic on official visits this weekend. Collier is deciding from among Seton Hall, St. John’s, Providence and Oregon State, while Edwin already committed to the Pirates…St. John’s hosts J.J. Moore of South Kent (Conn.) on an unofficial and Ronald Roberts of St. Peter’s Prep on an official.

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One of the bonuses of being a professional journalist is that you sometimes get advance copies of movies or books for review purposes.

On Wednesday I received a Fedex delivery containing the film, “The Street Stops Here,” which documents Bob Hurley’s 2007-08 St. Anthony Friars, who went a perfect 32-0 en route to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title and won a national-record 25th state championship.

I watched it Thursday in the privacy of my living room and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this film, and not just because I appear on camera (for about a split second) during a locker room scene in which Coach Hurley is yelling at his players.

This film is the perfect video complement to Adrian Wojnarowski’s wonderful book, “The Miracle of St. Anthony.”

If you are any kind of basketball fan, or any fan of human drama in general, run, don’t walk, to see this movie.

Directed by Kevin Shaw and produced by TeamWorks Media, it is playing as part of the New Jersey Film Festival on Sunday, Nov. 1 and Friday Nov. 6 — both at 7 p.m. at Rutgers University Scott Hall #123, 43 College Ave., New Brunswick, N.J.

Word is Coach Bob Hurley and his wife, Chris, and St. Benedict’s Coach Dan Hurley will be on hand Sunday night. (Knowing what a big Yankees fan Bob is, he’ll probably head straight to a radio or TV to catch up on Game 4 after the film is over.)

From a purely basketball standpoint, this film involves a virtual Who’s Who of contemporary basketball personalities.

**Consider that the undefeated 07-08 team featured seven current Division 1 players: Mike Rosario (Rutgers), Travon Woodall (Pittsburgh), Dominic Cheek (Villanova), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas), Jio Fontan and Alberto Estwick (Fordham) and A.J. Rogers (St. Joseph’s).

**There are interviews with North Carolina Coach Roy Williams and Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

**Former St. Anthony players such as Jerry Walker (who starred at Seton Hall) and Rashon Burno (who serves as an executive producer) also appear in the film.

**The storylines of both Bobby and Dan Hurley figure prominently in the film. Bobby is seen raising thoroughbred horses in Florida, while Dan laughs at the fact that he’s now coaching just 10 miles from his father at St. Benedict’s Prep.

“We’re not going to play St. Benedict’s because my wife won’t let us do it,” Bob cracks at one point.

**There is video footage of both Kobe Bryant and Lance Stephenson playing against St. Anthony in high school (Bryant in a real game, Lance in a scrimmage.) Bob Hurley also tells a group of Jersey City youngsters that LeBron James, in Jersey to face the Nets, has sent them 200 basketballs.

**One of my favorite scenes involves St. Anthony blowing out Neptune in Jersey City and the Neptune coach giving Hurley some kind of smirk after an incident involving Rosario.

“Take a look at the score, pal,” Hurley bellows at the opposing coach.

But this film is about more than just basketball. Much more.

It is about how one man, through sheer stubborness, persistence and hard work, has literally altered the lives of dozens of young men at a small, under-funded Catholic school in Jersey City.

“You’re supposed to be attempting to gain an education right now, not to turn you into the next guy that plays in the NBA,” Hurley bellows at his all-star team at one point.

He later tells the camera: “One out of every 32,000 high school athletes becomes a professional athlete so if you think you’re 6-foot tall son is going to become a pro, you’re not operating with a full deck.”

The film gets up-close and personal with Woodall, Rosario, Cheek and Fontan.

Woodall, now a sophomore at Pitt, talks about his mom’s drug use and the fact that she has HIV. He eventually moves in with Fontan and his father, Jorge Fontan, in Paterson and calls Jorge his “father.”

Having spent many days with these guys during high school, I can attest to what a difference Jorge made in their lives.

Rosario is the third “brother” in that family, having moved out of the Jersey City projects seeking a better life.

“I see myself in the NBA, playing for the Lakers or the Suns, with a wife, two kids and a big house,” Rosario says. “I see everything.”

And he has one man, one legendary coach, to thank for that.

(Photo courtesy NY Times)

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Personally, I’m in the former category. I think Lance is in a perfect spot at Cincinnati. He’s surrounded by a tough coach (Mick Cronin), experienced players who also want to win (Deonta Vaughn, Yancy Gates) and he’s out of the fishbowl of New York City.

The 6-foot-5 Brooklyn native was voted the Big East preseason Rookie of the Year.

He also impressed observers Saturday in his first scrimmage when he dropped 22 points in 25 minutes, leading the Red team to a 50-43 victory over the Black team, according to Bill Koch of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“The guy can play offense,” Cronin told Koch. “He’s got a lot of natural, God-given ability. I think our style of play will help Lance.”

Stephenson was joined on the Red team by Vaughn, Gates, Cashmere Wright and Biggie McClain.

“The good part about it for Lance,” Cronin told Koch, “is that he doesn’t have to carry our team. He’s got a lot of other players around him.”

As reported previously, Cincinnati is still awaiting word from the NCAA as to Lance’s eligibility vis-a-vis his amateurism issues.

SELBY CUTS BAYLOR

Matt Scott at TheShiver.com reports that Josh Selby has eliminated Baylor from his list of schools, bringing his list down to five schools.

The 6-3, 180 combo  guard out of Lake Baltimore (Md.) Clifton has already visited Kansas unofficially. He plans to see Syracuse, Miami, Indiana and Kentucky and his mother will announce a visit schedule this week.

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6-8 forward Terrence Jones of Oregon is visiting Kentucky now and will return Friday, according to an email his mother, Linda, sent to TheShiver.com. He visits Oregon on Saturday. Jones is also considering Washington, UCLA, and Oklahoma…Djim Bandoumel, a 6-8 center for Monroe (N.Y.) College, has committed to Idaho, according to assistant coach Brock Erickson.

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Clifton, who coached Wall with the D-One Sports program and was with him in the summer of 2008 at the Steve Nash Skills Academy in New Jersey, was a former certified agent.

“Those are amateur issues that arose prior to their coming to our schools,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive told Dana O’Neil and Pat Forde of ESPN.com in reference to Wall and Mississippi State freshman big man Renardo Sidney. “Those are strictly amateurism issues. As we told our people, somebody needs to determine if they are eligible. It’s not relative to you, it’s relative to them.”

According to the report, Wall may have to repay any and all expenses Clifton paid for during the period he was an agent.

Wall could also be withheld from at least 10 percent of Kentucky’s games as part of the punishment.

Kentucky coach John Calipari told ESPN.com at Thursday’s SEC media day that Wall is further along in his development than former Memphis guards Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans, both of whom are in the NBA.

“John right now is probably farther along today than they were,” Calipari said. “Those two when they got it and they felt the offense, they were unleashed and they weren’t afraid to make The Play. When we’re in a tough game and it’s on the road, is he going to make the play that those two did? I have no idea.”

If Wall isn’t eligible to start the season, the Wildcats have the luxury of  playing fellow freshman Eric Bledsoe, who chose Kentucky over Memphis even after the ‘Cats had landed Wall.

Several of the nation’s top freshman are facing eligibility issues related to amateurism concerns, including Wall, Sidney and Cincinnati freshman Lance Stephenson, the Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year who is also awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse.

“He’s cleared academically so we’re just waiting on the amateur thing,” Bearcats coach Mick Cronin told me Wednesday at Big East media day. “He’s not the only one going through it, so a lot of the elite players are going through it. We’ll see. Hopefully it’s done before the first game, I know that.”

(Photo courtesy US Presswire)

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It was the last day of the Mick Cronin Basketball Camp this summer at the University of Cincinnati and the young campers were finally allowed to get autographs from the returning college players.

The youngsters excitedly waited on line for players like Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates to sign T-shirts and pieces of paper.

Off on the side of the gym, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound Cincinnati freshman fired up jump shots in obscurity, nobody bothering him, no one asking for his autograph.

Read the full story here.

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The programming begins January 11 with Villanova at Louisville in a showdown between NCAA Tournament participants from last year. Villanova reached the Final Four and Louisville the Elite Eight.

Louisville, the defending Big East Tournament champions, beat Villanova in both matchups last season, including in the conference semifinals.

Prior to the tip off of the Big Monday schedule, ESPN will showcase Pittsburgh at Cincinnati on Monday, Jan. 4, giving Bearcats freshman Lance Stephenson of Brooklyn (pictured) a national showcase.

BIG EAST schedule highlights include:

●    Connecticut at Villanova in a showdown between the two Big East Final Four participants February 15;

●    Coverage featuring three of the four programs which made it to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight: Connecticut, Louisville and Villanova (the fourth, Pittsburgh, will be televised January 4).

●    All four Big East teams on the ESPN.com pre-season poll by Andy Katz: #4 Villanova, #9 West Virginia, #18 Georgetown and #25 Connecticut;

●    At least one team that has won the NCAA Championship in ESPN’s 30 years in each game: Connecticut (1999 & 2004), Georgetown (1984), Louisville (1980 & 1986), Syracuse (2003) and Villanova (1985), including four matchups between the teams:

ESPN’s 2009-10 Big Monday BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Schedule

January 4
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati

January 11
Villanova at Louisville

January 18
Syracuse at Notre Dame

January 25
Georgetown at Syracuse

February 1
Connecticut at Louisville

February 8
Villanova at West Virginia

February 15
Connecticut at Villanova

February 22
West Virginia at Connecticut

March 1
Georgetown at West Virginia

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Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin says Stephenson is adjusting to his new surroundings and acclimating to his new teammates — all in the relative anonymity of a college campus.

“All is quiet. Just lifting weights, getting in shape, playing every day with the guys,” Cronin said Thursday by phone from his office.

“It’s harder on his parents, him not being around, than it is on him. He’s really enjoying being out of the fishbowl a little bit. He’s part of  team here. He can walk around as a normal person. He walks around here and most people don’t know who he is yet. I think he’s enjoying that.”

Stephenson averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists to earn Class AA New York State Sports Writers Association (NYSSWA) Player of the Year honors his senior year at Brooklyn Lincoln.

Stephenson left for Cincinnati shortly after the news of his decision was broken by SNY.tv on June 30.

He arrived weighing 223 pounds and Cronin would like to see him drop a few pounds and cut his body fat.

“Just like any freshman, they all need to get in better shape,” Cronin said. “Him being a guard, obviously strength is important for his style of play, but quickness and athleticism can always improve so we focus on body fat. We’re not sure until we work with him for a month and get his accurate body fat and where he should be from a weight standpoint, but it’s all about getting him to a lower body fat is going to allow him to be a better athlete.”

Cronin has said from the beginning that he likes Stephenson’s competitiveness  and will to win.

“He’s a great guy, easy to be around, extremely competitive,” Cronin said. “His will to win and his drive to a be a very good player and become an impact player in our conference are what’s going to make him a great player. That’s something you can’t teach a guy. I knew that coming in, I knew that when we signed him.”

With the return of point guard Deonta Vaughn (pictured) and forward Yancy Gates — two potential future pros — many Big East coaches expected Cincinnati to move up in the rankings anyway.

“The maturity of our returning guys is something I’m looking forward to having because we haven’t had a lot of them since I’ve been here,” Cronin said.

Now with the addition of Stephenson, there’s no telling how good the Bearcats can be.

One thing’s for sure. Cronin believes Lance will add a much-needed dose of New York City toughness.

“Kenny Satterfield brought that back to this program back in 2000,” Cronin said. “Francisco Garcia brought it to Louisville when I signed him. It’s real, it’s tangible. The confidence level, the toughness level, the love for the game, the expectation of winning, whatever it takes to win.

“And the daily competitiveness, whether it’s pickup games, drills, shooting, running, weight room, whatever it may be. The pride factor that a guy like Lance brings to the table wanting to win. He didn’t come here to finish in the middle of the pack. He wants to impact winning while he’s here.

“And just raising the expectation level for our whole team. Not the coaching staff, but in that locker room. I think that’s where he can give us help, too, between the lines.”

Cronin said he hasn’t figured out whether Stephenson will start, but emphasized that he has a “deep team” that will allow them “to push the pace offensively.”

Sean Kilpatrick, another freshman out of White Plains, N.Y., will also contribute.

“He’s a guy I’m really excited about,” Cronin said. “He’s a guy who loves basketball. He’s got tremendous dedication and the most important thing is, he knows how to play.”

Stephenson and Kilpatrick will make their national debut in the Maui Invitational against Vanderbilt Nov. 23 on ESPN2.

“They got their whole team back, so that’s going to be a challenge for us,” Cronin said.

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