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***Official UC Basketball Thread***


Khatmandude

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[quote name='JC' post='782806' date='Jun 29 2009, 12:41 PM']I would think talent would reflect their record?[/quote]

Last year's record more reflected their youth than their talent. And losing their only true PG before the season started sure didn't help.

Vaughn is a very good player (1st team all big east as a sophomore) and Gates is a beast in the making. They also have a very good player transferring in from Ok St.

I think Stephenson could put them right in the thick of things if he's anywhere near as good as he's supposed to be.
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[quote name='JC' post='782806' date='Jun 29 2009, 03:11 PM']I would think talent would reflect their record?[/quote]


I don't have to venture far away from UC to debunk that argument.........let's look at UCONN shall we. In 2006/2007 they went 17-14 and 6-10 in the Big East, missing the NCAA tournament obviously. Here's their roster for that year:

Marcus Johnson
Ben Eaves
Doug Wiggins
[b]Jeff Adrien [/b]
Ben Spencer
[b]Jerome Dyson [/b]
[b]A.J. Price [/b]
Curtis Kelly
[b]Stanley Robinson[/b]
[b]Craig Austrie[/b]
Rob Garrison
Jonathan Mandeldove
[b]Gavin Edwards[/b]
[b]Hasheem Thabeet[/b]
Marty Gagne

Does that roster/talent level reflect in their record? That answer would be no. What's the significance of the bolded names above? OK.....in the future, let's not use such simplistic arguments.

UC has a good amount of talent this year......let's analyze a bit position by position shall we?

PG: Cashmere Wright (4-star; top 50 recruit); Dion Dixon (3 star - top 100 recruit);
SG: Vaughn (All Big East player); Kilpatrick (3/4 star - top 100 recruit); Davis (unranked due to injury)
SF: Wilks (4 star - top 65 recruit); Bishop (3 star - top 150 recruit)
PF: Toyloy (JUCO, offered by Clemson, Minnesota, West Virginia and Baylor...chose UC); Ibrahima Thomas (transfer from Okla St...6'10" skill player who can shoot; avg. 9 pts, 6 rebs as frosh in Big 12)
C: Gates (5 star - top 22 player; All Big East Freshman); McClain (4 star - top 50 recruit)

Of course these rankings are subjective and should not be taken as exact but they do give you a pretty good idea of the talent level on this year's team. It shows an average to above average level of talent wouldn't you say? Throw in Lance Stephenson who is at worst the #10 player in his class and it looks that much more impressive no?
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Your argument that talent does not always guarantee a good record is a good one, but then you seem to go on in your next paragraph to say that UC's talent will make them a good team. I shouldn't have to point out how inconsistant this is.

Also, John Calhoun and the other good example you could use from last year, John Thompson III, are both much better coaches than Mick Cronin (this is basically inarguable, isn't it?). Cronin's only success as a head coach was at a small school where he had a reputation of taking talented players who wouldn't qualify or had previous trouble and were therefore forced to placed in the OVC. The program is turning around, and has had a spate of bad luck, but Cronin hasn't distinguished himself as one of the great coaches in the Big East, and his time to do this is running out.

Finally, every NCAA program (except the high and mighty Duke Blue Devils) will take kids know and then who are turds, but that's what makes Lance Stephenson's story so interesting. You have the #10 player in the country, and the second best SG, and all of the teams that would traditionally be pursuing have backed off at various points because this kid is trouble. Every coach that has met with the kid has stopped recruiting him very soon afterwards.

The argument that Lance has had success in high school and clearly can't be a cancer for his NCAA team sure didn't work out of OJ Mayo and the Trojans, did it? I don't seem to remember Tim Floyd, Lil Romeo, and the crew cutting down too many nets.

Hopefully Mick will wise up, because no good can come from having two ballhog (and Vaughn is, btw. All of the good ones are) SGs both playing to improve their draft stock and fighting for playing time on the same team at the same time. Mick could be under enough pressure to sign Stephenson, but it will do more than anything to end his College Hoops career at UC.
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[quote name='IKOTA' post='782779' date='Jun 29 2009, 09:09 AM'][b]I'm sure UK has all choirboys on their roster [/b]as do a majority of NCAA college hoops teams, thus your need to interject your opinions in a UC thread.[/quote]
Silly, of course we do. We also have a coach that is as infallible as the Pope. Why do you think UK has a thing for upright, suit-wearing Italians? Because they are basketball Gods that go to Church on Sundays. This makes them beyond reproach. Didn't you get the memo? Cronin...that's a Mick name, right? Ooops, that's already his first name, I meant [i]Irish[/i]...Irish Catholics are wannabe drunks. You cannot trust them. You need a Dago wop to coach your team to the promised land. Their reputations are impugnable.
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[quote name='IKOTA' post='782833' date='Jun 29 2009, 05:18 PM']UC has a good amount of talent this year......let's analyze a bit position by position shall we?

PG: Cashmere Wright (4-star; top 50 recruit); Dion Dixon (3 star - top 100 recruit);
SG: Vaughn (All Big East player); Kilpatrick (3/4 star - top 100 recruit); Davis (unranked due to injury)
SF: Wilks (4 star - top 65 recruit); Bishop (3 star - top 150 recruit)
PF: Toyloy (JUCO, offered by Clemson, Minnesota, West Virginia and Baylor...chose UC); Ibrahima Thomas (transfer from Okla St...6'10" skill player who can shoot; avg. 9 pts, 6 rebs as frosh in Big 12)
C: Gates (5 star - top 22 player; All Big East Freshman); McClain (4 star - top 50 recruit)

Of course these rankings are subjective and should not be taken as exact but they do give you a pretty good idea of the talent level on this year's team. It shows an average to above average level of talent wouldn't you say? Throw in Lance Stephenson who is at worst the #10 player in his class and it looks that much more impressive no?[/quote]
It's one thing to see the stars and how they were in college. (Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts were generally top 5 in their class). It's how they translate. UC in the Big East I just don't think they will do very well. They don't have the same pieces the UCONN team had that was shown.

It would be great to see UC turn it around..but they just aren't going to with Lance Stephenson. "Born Ready" really? He wasn't even very impressive in the Mcdonalds game.

[quote name='#22' post='782855' date='Jun 29 2009, 10:02 PM']Finally, every NCAA program (except the high and mighty Duke Blue Devils) will take kids know and then who are turds,[/quote]
The shot hatred still runs deep i see.

There are a lot of teams that don't go after high school divas. Duke doesn't go after many..because why would you want someone to come to your school if they wouldn't even graduate. You know damn well John Wall or Eric Bledsoe wouldn't pass a single class at a college like UK. If Eric Bledsoe could he would be a Bluedevil right now..but he is a retard and probably couldn't find his way to the practice facility without having to stop for directions a couple of times..

UNC doesn't go after many turds either. Both of our schools were after Wall. But why grab a guy that will just hurt chemistry and not go to class? Neither seem to get to many of those. Between those two teams were 4 NCAA championships in the first decade of 2000.


Maybe UK could employ that and win won. Instead they may be in the same situation with a bunch of guys wanting the ball and improving their draft stock. They just have better players and a worse conference.
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[quote name='#22' post='782855' date='Jun 29 2009, 11:32 PM']Your argument that talent does not always guarantee a good record is a good one, but then you seem to go on in your next paragraph to say that UC's talent will make them a good team. I shouldn't have to point out how inconsistant this is.

Also, John Calhoun and the other good example you could use from last year, John Thompson III, are both much better coaches than Mick Cronin (this is basically inarguable, isn't it?). Cronin's only success as a head coach was at a small school where he had a reputation of taking talented players who wouldn't qualify or had previous trouble and were therefore forced to placed in the OVC. The program is turning around, and has had a spate of bad luck, but Cronin hasn't distinguished himself as one of the great coaches in the Big East, and his time to do this is running out.

Finally, every NCAA program (except the high and mighty Duke Blue Devils) will take kids know and then who are turds, but that's what makes Lance Stephenson's story so interesting. You have the #10 player in the country, and the second best SG, and all of the teams that would traditionally be pursuing have backed off at various points because this kid is trouble. Every coach that has met with the kid has stopped recruiting him very soon afterwards.

The argument that Lance has had success in high school and clearly can't be a cancer for his NCAA team sure didn't work out of OJ Mayo and the Trojans, did it? I don't seem to remember Tim Floyd, Lil Romeo, and the crew cutting down too many nets.

Hopefully Mick will wise up, because no good can come from having two ballhog (and Vaughn is, btw. All of the good ones are) SGs both playing to improve their draft stock and fighting for playing time on the same team at the same time. Mick could be under enough pressure to sign Stephenson, but it will do more than anything to end his College Hoops career at UC.[/quote]


Regarding your first point, I simply was stating that talent does not always dictate a team's record and used UCONN as an example. The similarities are that both teams were very young. Talent + youth = mediocre whereas talent + experience = NCAA tourney team and more. I do see however where one could be confused by my post.

As for Stephenson (who's commited to UC as of now btw), he has question marks around him, no doubt but his talent is unquestioned. And even though OJ Mayo didn't cut down any nets at USC, he made them "relevant" again which Stephenson will do for UC. He will sell tickets, he will get national exposure for himself and the program, he will get the Bearcats on ESPN where impressionable young men will be watching. His intangible value may be greater than his talent.

My argument is that he wasn't so much a cancer on his HS team since they won 4 state titles. Mayo didn't come close to accomplishing this feat. Lance also broke Marbury and Telfair's HS scoring record. Is he a ballhog? Damn right he is......so is Kobe Bryant. Vaughn isn't a ballhog as you claim IMO because he was TOLD to take those shots. He was one of the only viable options (and the only perimeter option) for UC the past 3 yrs. As he went, the UC offense went. Now, he's not playing PG and SG at the same time. Your point about him and Stephenson vying to improve each others' draft spot is a valid one and a concern I myself have. But at the same time, it's a problem I'd rather have than not. The same can be said for your UK Wildcats with many a candidate for one and done as well as Patterson needing to improve his draft stock. But this problem is like having 2 good QB's.....it's not the worst thing that could happen to a team.

And the concern about schools backing off Stephenson is valid also, but requires a bit further research into why it happened. Bill Self has stated that he would have signed Lance if Xavier Henry didn't commit. Memphis and USC are among other schools still recruiting Lance (he's committed to UC however) right now. Maryland had to back off or face NCAA action due to Lance and his father visiting the Under Armour facility in MD (Under Armour is owned by a Maryland alum and booster) during an official recruiting visit. I read a very good article recently which stated that some schools backed off Stephenson because of his father who is know to be a loud mouth and a headache for a coach. Regardless of what it is, it's speculation on our part and doesn't do the kid justice by labeling him.

I had concerns about his court case which is for groping a girl afterschool. The more details that have come out, the less concern I hold. Apparently, the girl is saying he grabbed her breast and butt after school, in front of the school and she proceeded to kick and punch him for it. However, there are no witnesses and some have suggested that Lance wasn't even in that area at the time the girl is claiming. He said, she said which will get thrown out. Again, we don't know what happened so let's not speculate. Does no good.

And Mick wasn't under any pressure to sign anybody. Most thought he was done recruiting for the year after he signed Jaquon Parker, after which Mick received a 2 yr contract extension. Stephenson commit or no, he was in good shape for the upcoming year with a team some were calling a sleeper pick to win the Big East........here's an article by Andy Katz which mentions as much:

[quote]• Lance Stephenson's sexual assault case was adjourned until July 15, according to ZagsBlog.com, a blog based in New York City. The hearing at the Brooklyn Criminal Court that also involves high school teammate Darwin Ellis, is based on an allegation that occurred last fall outside Brooklyn's Lincoln High.

The Sporting News reported over the weekend that Stephenson visited Cincinnati. The Bearcats have a scholarship open. This is the deal: If Stephenson is cleared by everyone involved -- the courts (i.e. a plea deal to a misdemeanor or charges dropped) and the NCAA eligibility center -- then the Bearcats seem to be the most likely destination.

Stephenson's talent isn't in question, but in the past few months Kansas, Memphis, Arizona, Maryland, St. John's, Florida and even Florida International have been linked in some form to his recruitment. As of now, Cincinnati may be the last school standing. [b]With or without Stephenson, the Bearcats are primed to be a sleeper in the Big East.[/b] The Bearcats will get former Oklahoma State center Ibrahima Thomas eligible in mid-December and added expected impact players such as shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick and point guard Jaquon Parker to go along with redshirt freshman Cashmere Wright, who was out last season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Wright is projected to be the starting point guard for the Bearcats. The Bearcats already bring back their top two scorers -- Deonta Vaughn (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg) and Yancy Gates (10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) -- after going 8-10 in the Big East, 18-14 overall. If Stephenson were to go to Cincinnati and he can mesh with the aforementioned players, it wouldn't be unrealistic to consider the Bearcats a Big East title contender.[/quote]

So again.........Mick wasn't facing much pressure considering he was just given a contract extension. He took over a mess and has gradually improved the talent level and the winning percentage. This will be a big year for him (even w/o Stephenson) but not a make or break year by any means. He's happy at UC and UC (Mike Thomas specifically) is happy to have Mick at UC. Not much besides this matters at the current time.
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[quote name='JC' post='782868' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:01 AM']It's one thing to see the stars and how they were in college. (Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts were generally top 5 in their class). It's how they translate. UC in the Big East I just don't think they will do very well. They don't have the same pieces the UCONN team had that was shown.

It would be great to see UC turn it around..but they just aren't going to with Lance Stephenson. "Born Ready" really? He wasn't even very impressive in the Mcdonalds game.[/quote]


You can't see someone in the McDonald's All American game and judge anything by it.........although Lance had 12 pts, 6 assists and 3 steals. Not a bad line by any means. You're talking about the same player who hung 40 points on Jamal Crawford of the NBA at Rucker Park, the same guy who broke Marbury and Sebastian Telfair's scoring records in NY, the same guy who was considered to be the #1 player in his class after his Jr season. The same player who was projected as a late lottery pick had he been eligible out of HS. So before saying he wasn't "even very impressive" you should do your due diligence.

And your statement that UC won't turn it around with Lance Stephenson is ignorant and seems to be based on nothing substantial. His value will be measured by more than just his on the court success. Read my post above in reply to #22 for my opinion on that.

And as for Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts........yes they were generally top 5 in their class.......but they were also white. :ninja:

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[quote name='Bunghole' post='782858' date='Jun 30 2009, 12:50 AM']Silly, of course we do. We also have a coach that is as infallible as the Pope. Why do you think UK has a thing for upright, suit-wearing Italians? Because they are basketball Gods that go to Church on Sundays. This makes them beyond reproach. Didn't you get the memo? Cronin...that's a Mick name, right? Ooops, that's already his first name, I meant [i]Irish[/i]...Irish Catholics are wannabe drunks. You cannot trust them. You need a Dago wop to coach your team to the promised land. Their reputations are impugnable.[/quote]


Haha......maybe my black and red bias is clouding my judgement of Stephenson just as your big blue bias does not allow you to see the slime that Calipari oozes from his pores.

And you are the most racist dude I've ever met and gotten a car wash from :lol:

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[quote name='Jason' post='782941' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:54 PM']Assuming we do get him is he SG or SF?

A lineup of

PG: Cashmere Wright
SG: Deonta Vaughn
SF: Lance Stephenson
PF: Ibrahima Thomas
C: Yancey Gates

could be pretty damned good.[/quote]


We got him! Lets just hope he's eligible. If so, I see:

PG: Cash Wright
SG: Deonta Vaughn
SF: Lance Stephenson
PF: Yancey Gates
C: Stephen Toyloy

Then, after Thomas becomes eligible its a free for all as their 5 best players could very well be Wright, Gates, Stephenson, Vaughn and Thomas but how do you fit them in the lineup together besides your lineup? That would leave them thin at rebounding as Gates would be your only legit rebounding threat. Thomas, even though he's 6'10" is soft as they come and doesn't like to bang at all. I think we'll see plenty of rotations and pressing style, full court, up tempo game that Cronin's been wanting to play here since he arrived.

This IS the year the Bearcats get back to the tourney.
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[quote name='IKOTA' post='782942' date='Jun 30 2009, 01:35 PM'][b]We got him![/b] Lets just hope he's eligible. If so, I see:

PG: Cash Wright
SG: Deonta Vaughn
SF: Lance Stephenson
PF: Yancey Gates
C: Stephen Toyloy

Then, after Thomas becomes eligible its a free for all as their 5 best players could very well be Wright, Gates, Stephenson, Vaughn and Thomas but how do you fit them in the lineup together besides your lineup? That would leave them thin at rebounding as Gates would be your only legit rebounding threat. Thomas, even though he's 6'10" is soft as they come and doesn't like to bang at all. I think we'll see plenty of rotations and pressing style, full court, up tempo game that Cronin's been wanting to play here since he arrived.

This IS the year the Bearcats get back to the tourney.[/quote]

[s]Source? I can't find anything official.[/s]

Nevermind, I found it.
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Thug or not, that is a pretty sick lineup. That team won't win the Big East, but they will come closer than anybody thinks.


I with the ADs would man up and give us the UC/UK games that we all want, though..
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[quote name='IKOTA' post='782933' date='Jun 30 2009, 11:31 AM']Haha......maybe my black and red bias is clouding my judgement of Stephenson just as your big blue bias does not allow you to see the slime that Calipari oozes from his pores.

And you are the most racist dude I've ever met and gotten a car wash from :lol:[/quote]
I am that Irish Catholic (with an Italian surname) that I speak of. Well, raised Catholic anyway. Football is my church on Sundays now.

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[quote name='#22' post='782949' date='Jun 30 2009, 12:51 PM']I with the ADs would man up and give us the UC/UK games that we all want, though..[/quote]
UC fans don't want that kind of yearly humiliation. They saw what happened in the tournament a few years ago, and that was a very good UC team, and only a so-so UK team.
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[quote name='#22' post='782949' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:21 PM']Thug or not, that is a pretty sick lineup. That team won't win the Big East, but they will come closer than anybody thinks.


I with the ADs would man up and give us the UC/UK games that we all want, though..[/quote]

Very well could win the Big East, although Villanova will by the likely favorite. Big East is going to be down a bit this year with Marquette, UCONN, Syracuse and Pitt losing alot. WV, 'Nova are the likely frontrunners but UC has a real good chance if they play to their capabilities. Mick will be praised/criticized based on the end result and the praise/criticism will be fair as he has a full team for the first time essentially.

I agree......I wish the UC/UK matchup would happen although both programs haven't been as prominent lately as they were up until 5 yrs or so ago. It was fun when we got the wish in the 2nd rd of the 2004/2005 tourney though.
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[quote name='Bunghole' post='782959' date='Jun 30 2009, 04:02 PM']UC fans don't want that kind of yearly humiliation. They saw what happened in the tournament a few years ago, and that was a very good UC team, and only a so-so UK team.[/quote]


No......not a very good UC team.......we had Nick Williams starting at SG for God's sake. We had 3 above average players in James White, Jason Maxiell and Eric Hicks. You guys had a pretty good team actually........Kalena Azubuike, Ramel Bradley, Randolph Morris, Chuck Hayes, Patrick Sparks, Rajon Rondo, Joe Crawford, Shegari Elleyne and Orbzut (two 7 footers). No comparison........UK had the better team by a large, large margin and it was a good game. UC played their hearts out and still lost due to the talent factor.
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[quote name='IKOTA' post='782964' date='Jun 30 2009, 03:07 PM']No......not a very good UC team.......we had Nick Williams starting at SG for God's sake. We had 3 above average players in James White, Jason Maxiell and Eric Hicks. You guys had a pretty good team actually........Kalena Azubuike, Ramel Bradley, Randolph Morris, Chuck Hayes, Patrick Sparks, Rajon Rondo, Joe Crawford, Shegari Elleyne and Orbzut (two 7 footers). No comparison........UK had the better team by a large, large margin and it was a good game. UC played their hearts out and still lost due to the talent factor.[/quote]
I must be getting senile in my old age. Crawford, Kelenna, Morris, Sparks and Hayes were pretty good players then, but even Rondo was young and inconsistent, as well as Ramel. Alleyene and Orbzut are barely worth mentioning.

PLus you guys had Maxiell! Maxiell!

Anyway, you're right. I thought UC had some different players.
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[b][size=3]Stephenson, Cincy a good match[/size][/b]

Link: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/columns/story?columnist=biancardi_paul&id=4299039"]http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/...&id=4299039[/url]

With the state's all-time scoring record, four Public School Athletic League titles and two state championships under his belt, there was little left for Lance Stephenson to accomplish at Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, N.Y.) except to choose his college destination. That seemingly never-ending process finally came to an end for Stephenson on Tuesday when he signed a financial aid agreement with Cincinnati. (He was unable to sign a letter of intent because he made his decision after the late signing period concluded in May.)

Stephenson has been a fixture on both the New York City and national high school basketball scene since his junior high years. For the most part, he has lived up to his lofty reputation. [b]He's a winner, and the type of player who wants the ball and delivers in crunch time. Stephenson's talent is undeniable,[/b] but he does have a few chinks in the armor that need smoothing out before he reaches his full potential.

[b]Strengths[/b]
This big, burly shooting guard is a natural scorer, who is always in attack mode on the offensive end. Stephenson loves having the ball in his hands. He is best at taking his strong body to the basket. [b]There are few high school players out there who combine great strength with a lightning-quick first step to the basket like Stephenson does. In transition, he can get to the rim at will,[/b] often times working through contact and finishing at the foul line.

Stephenson does his damage off the dribble, and is primarily someone who beats his defender with the straight-line dribble-drive. Because he's so powerful, he can get close to the basket with not much work. Once there, he senses his scoring opportunities, and usually delivers the knockout punch. [b]Stephenson has good vision, and is a willing passer when he sees the open man. He has shown the ability to give up his shot to an open teammate with a better look.[/b]

His points, first and foremost, come on drives to the basket, but beyond that Stephenson has displayed a consistent pull-up jump shot off one or two rhythm dribbles. While his 3-point shooting and overall range have improved, it is still an inconsistent facet of his game at this point, but there is no doubt that when he gets hot shooting the ball, defenders are forced to come out and guard him because [b]he is one of the most difficult players in the country to check one-on-one.[/b] Take, for instance, a game televised on ESPN in December in which Lincoln took on nationally ranked Duncanville (Texas) High School. Stephenson had a second quarter no one will soon forget, scoring 19 points against a team featuring several Division I prospects.

When it comes to rebounding, Stephenson excels on the offensive glass. Because he is such a hungry scorer, he attacks the offensive boards, resulting in several second-chance points. He is stronger than most high school players, especially guards, and may be the best backcourt rebounder in the country. He is also a capable defensive rebounder, often grabbing errant shots and racing the length of the court for scores. It's no secret how exciting Stephenson can be in the open court.

[b]Defensively, Stephenson has all the tools to be an absolute lock-down defender.[/b] When faced with a challenge, he is one of the best defenders in the country. His strength, size and warrior-like mentality make him capable of guarding from multiple positions on the floor. For example, if he could learn how to chase shooters off screens, with his size, he could block jump shots and harass scorers all over the floor. He could front a bigger post player, or even push players off the block, because of his strength. He could even guard a point or a wing off the dribble if he focuses on keeping them out of the lane. As he continues to develop on the defensive end, Stephenson could also be handed the responsibility of guarding the opponent's top scorer.

[b]Weaknesses[/b]
Although Stephenson is terrific off the dribble, he does have a tendency to over-dribble, which can have a negative effect on his team's offense. He kills any sort of offensive momentum because he tries to do too much. At times, he feels the need to hunt down a quick shot, rather than letting the scoring opportunities come to him out of the natural flow of offensive sets, reads or broken plays. Despite his solid mid-range game, he needs to learn how to pull up softer and stay in control of his jump shots to avoid drawing offensive charge calls. Stephenson must do a better job of working to get open shots, including coming hard off screens his teammates set for him. Overall, he needs to develop a better understanding of how to play without the ball in his hands.

[b]Stephenson's future with the Bearcats[/b]
There are still some unresolved legal issues Stephenson must deal with before beginning his college basketball career. (July 15 is the next time he will face a judge on charges of sexual assault stemming from an incident in the fall.) From a basketball standpoint, Cincinnati is a good fit for Stephenson.

If Stephenson molds well with the other players and understands his role, he's going to be in a beneficial situation. Approaching this opportunity with the right attitude is going to be Stephenson's most crucial responsibility. With returning veterans on the Bearcats' roster, Stephenson may feel that he has to come in and prove something. Instead, he has to improve on his skill set.

Stephenson has growing to do, and Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin, an established and successful coach, is a guy who can groom him and keep him grounded. As an assistant at Louisville and Cincinnati, Cronin has coached players of Stephenson's caliber in the past. From that experience, I am certain he will demand exceptional play from Stephenson without being demeaning.

[b]Next season, the Bearcats could make a surge into the top half of the Big East. [/b]That would be a remarkable achievement, considering how void of talent the program was when Cronin took the job. Now he'll go into the 2009-10 season with Stephenson and returning standouts Deonta Vaughn and Yancy Gates (both double-digit scorers in 2008-09). Stephenson will be joined in the Bearcats' backcourt by sophomore point guard Cashmere Wright. Wright missed all of his freshman campaign with a torn ACL.
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[quote name='Bunghole' post='782988' date='Jun 30 2009, 07:24 PM']PLus you guys had Maxiell! Maxiell![/quote]

Careful, man! A friend of mine once typed M's name 3 times; he appeared like Betelgeuse, swatted the shit outta him and then dunked on his wife. After he vanished they discovered his daughter was pregnant. Wasn't pretty.
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[quote name='Go Tory Go!' post='783782' date='Jul 4 2009, 09:10 PM']Careful, man! A friend of mine once typed M's name 3 times; he appeared like Betelgeuse, swatted the shit outta him and then dunked on his wife. After he vanished they discovered his daughter was pregnant. Wasn't pretty.[/quote]


hahahahahaha.
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[quote name='Go Tory Go!' post='783782' date='Jul 4 2009, 09:10 PM']Careful, man! A friend of mine once typed M's name 3 times; he appeared like Betelgeuse, swatted the shit outta him and then dunked on his wife. After he vanished they discovered his daughter was pregnant. Wasn't pretty.[/quote]
That was really, really funny!!

But I thought I had to say his name three times in a dark bathroom while staring into the mirror...or something...
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The latest on Stephenson:

[quote][b][size=4]Stephenson avoids jail time[/size][/b]
ESPN.com news services
Updated: July 11, 2009, 3:21 PM ETComment / Email / Print
Forward Lance Stephenson, who has committed to play at Cincinnati this fall, agreed to a plea deal and will not serve jail time in his sexual assault case.

Stephenson, ranked No. 12 in the ESPNU top 100, pleaded guilty to a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct on Friday and will seek counseling and perform three days of community service, according to the New York Daily News.

The 6-6 Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln High School player, a 2009 McDonald's High School All-American who was considered the top high school player in New York state last season, had been scheduled for a July 15 trial.

A source told the Daily News: "His lawyer moved up the court date from next week and had him take conditional discharge."

Stephenson and another player from Lincoln, Darwin Ellis, were charged after being accused of groping a 17-year-old girl near the high school in early October 2008.

"Mr. Stephenson is looking forward to transitioning to college life and is pleased to put this matter behind him," his lawyer, Alberto Ebanks, said, according to the Daily News.

Not everything is resolved with Stephenson, however. A source with knowledge of the NCAA enforcement process told ESPN.com's Andy Katz in late June that the NCAA is expected to look into Stephenson's amateur status. Stephenson was part of a documentary, called "Born Ready," and a tour of the Under Armour factory while visiting Maryland earlier this year.

Multiple coaches who recruited Stephenson told ESPN.com that they expected an NCAA investigation into Stephenson's amateur status as soon as he committed to a school.

Sources said at the time that Cincinnati isn't worried about Stephenson's status or, for that matter, the assault case.

Stephenson averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists at Lincoln, and graduated as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the state with 2,946 points.[/quote]
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  • 4 weeks later...
I saw Lance Stephenson play in the Deveroes league championship game on Saturday. He's as advertised.....extremely talented, insane creativity with the ball .....straight up NYC game. Which is good AND bad IMO. He will have to learn to control his desire for one on one play and get more in tune with the team concept if the Bearcats are going to fully benefit from having him on the team. The long term benefits of him being a Bearcat are obvious.

Dion Dixon has completely taken me by surprise as to his development. He is going to have a breakout year and be one of the best players on the team along with Deonta, Lance, Yancy and Cashmere. Explosive athletic ability was displayed by him and noone could keep him from getting to the basket when he wanted to. Has great handle and has improved his jump shot tremendously. I'm excited about him this year.

Sean Kilpatrick is going to be an impact freshman. He's a slasher who can finish off the glass like noone I've seen. He's got a feel for scoring and his jumpshot is pretty good too. He's athletic and has good handle himself. He was also getting to the hoop at will.

Yancy is an absolute monster.......he is Shaq like without being 7'2".....I just wish he would turn up his intensity. He's soft for his size and needs to play with determination and aggressivness but it's not like you can take his Deveroes summer league performance and say its how he's going to play during the college season. He was clearly the biggest guy on the floor and could have hurt people if he wanted to. He's just a goofy guy and person......he's only like 20 yrs old so I can understand that but hopefully he gets serious during the season.

Super excited about the team this year......they SHOULD be top 5 Big East and a NCAA tourney team with potential to actually make some noise if they play to their capabilities. Mick's recruiting has got the team going in the right direction....hopefully his coaching can mature to match.
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