May 2009 | Page 6 of 13 | Zagsblog
Recent Posts
About ZagsBlog
Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Follow Zags on Twitter
Couldn't connect with Twitter
Contact Zags
Connect with Zags:
Tuesday / December 10.
  • Lance Stephenson scored a game-high 25 points to lead the New York Panthers to a 76-65 victory over the Playaz Sophomores in the title game of the 2009 Is8/Nike Spring High School Classic in Queens, N.Y.

    “I just wanted to win, so I did whatever I do to win,” Stephenson told NYCHoops.net. “I’m happy we won and we played hard, that’s what we want.”

    Arizona-bound wing Kevin Parrom added 14 points and Hofstra commit Chaz Williams scored eight.

    “Anytime you win a championship it always feels good,” Panthers coach Gary Charles said. “As a freshman, Lance had won a championship with Danny Green. Now right before he takes off to go to college he wins another one with us so it’s a special feeling.

    Lance Stephenson dropped 20 points on 5-of-14 shooting to lead the New York Panthers to an 80-71 semifinal victory over New Heights in the 2009 Is8/Nike Spring High School Classic in Queens, N.Y.

    The Panthers will meet the Playaz sophomores in Sunday’s final at 11.

    Stephenson, who did not speak with reporters about his college plans, added 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers. He was 10-of-11 from the stripe.

    Hofstra-bound guard Chaz Williams scored 10 of his 18 points in the third quarter for the Panthers. He added five rebounds.

    Arizona-bound guard Kevin Parrom tallied 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting  and added 3 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals.

    HERSHEY, Pa. — I first saw Bruce Springsteen in the summer of 1985 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

    I was with my then-girlfriend Danielle Pedeleborde, Bruce was on the “Born in the USA” tour and I remember some drunk chick behind me spilling a beer all over me.

    We had a great time anyway.

    Fast forward nearly a quarter century, 24 years to be exact, and I saw Springsteen for probably  the 12th or 15th time last night at Hershey Park.

    This time I was with my wife, Jen, and my two kids, Grace and James, on a beautiful warm spring night. My how time flies.

    Lance Stephenson’s attorney says his client is innocent of the sexual assault charges against him and believes it’s an open-and shut case.

    Stephenson, the 6-foot-5 McDonald’s All-American out of Brooklyn Lincoln High School, and one of his teammates, Darwin “Buddha” Ellis, are charged with the misdemeanor of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old female student last Oct. 3 outside the school.

    They are to appear in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Tuesday.

    A third young man, the team’s 15-year-old manager, was already acquitted in the same incident in family court.

    “[Stephenson] is 100 percent innocent,” said Alberto Ebanks, Stephenson’s Brooklyn-based attorney. “Just apply logic to the situation. At 2:50 p.m. as school is letting out, this God-awful incident goes on across the street from the school and no one sees anything? No one? Not one school safety officer, not one member of the administration, not one fellow classmate? Come on.

    John Wall says he hasn’t committed to Kentucky or anywhere else, despite a slew of rumors to the contrary on Thursday.

    “No, I haven’t,” Wall wrote Thursday in a text.

    A source at Kentucky also said the school did not issue any kind of ultimatum requiring Wall to choose a school within any time frame.

    As I previously reported, Wall is believed to be down to Kentucky and Miami and will choose between those two schools. His advisor, Brian Clifton, told SI.com that Duke was also still an option.

    “We are going to have more specific conversations in the next few days,” Clifton told Jerry Meyer of Rivals. “John has never mentioned to me that he feels the need to make a decision by May 20 [the end of the spring signing period].”

    Jorge Fontan says his son, Jio Fontan, will leave Fordham University after this semester whether he is granted a release or not.

    “If they don’t grant us a release we’re going to leave regardless,” Jorge said Thursday in an exclusive phone interview. “He is going to leave.”

    Fontan, a 19-year-old freshman point guard out of St. Anthony in Jersey City, led the Rams in scoring (15.3 points per game), assists (4.7) and steals (33) while adding 2.7 rebounds per game. He was named to the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie team. Fordham finished 3-25, 1-15 in the A-10.

    The 6-foot Fontan has tried repeatedly to obtain a release from Fordham, but has been denied on numerous occasions.

    In the meantime, Fordham has granted releases to three other players, Mike Moore, Trey Blue and Lamar Thomas.

    “As a father, the hardest thing I had to do this year was see my son be so sad and stressed out,” Jorge said.

    } });
    X