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April 12, 2009
There's a lot of negativity surrounding this kid - some deservedly so - but I think its time to put into perspective that we're talking about a 17-year-old kid here who has been hailed as a great already from the Mecca of basketball, NYC... That said, I think there's a reason this kid and his family want him to come to Kansas - to get the hell out of NYC and all the hoopla that comes with it... I've seen pictures of this kid where he simply looks lost and down - because most of this kid's life he's been treated like an object and not the kid that he is... You could see it on his face at the McDonald's game and I think it showed during his trip to Lawrence - he wants to get away from being the man and he wants to be a regular guy surrounded by guys that are just as good as him if not better... I think it's pretty lame that a grown man like Rosen from Fox Sports would resort to calling a 17-year-old kid a jerk, he doesn't know Lance Stephenson nor does he know what the kid's been through... I'm not exonerating the kid because it's clear he has some growing up to do, but let's not forget - he is a kid... He's made some questionable calls already, but where's he taking his cue? Not every superstar has Archie Manning to learn the ropes from... Self knows what he's getting in this kid, and having learned from the JR Giddens' and CJ Giles' messes - if Lance had initials for a first name, then I'd be really worried - I think he's not going to risk a championship team for the sake of a bad kid... As for KU fans, I bet a lot of these same KU people bashing Lance are probably the same ones that were dogging Sherron at the beginning of the season... And speaking of Sherron, you really think Lance is going to try to and make a mockery of what's going to be Sherron's team -provided he stays, which I think everyone at this point would be stunned if he left - after Sherron has put so much work into becoming a complete college player amid all the struggles he's gone through in his life off the court? Sherron is precisely the kind of guy I'd want around Lance Stephenson - because he won't get into Sherron's grill, unless he wants a Chi-Town beatdown... I wasn't all that impressed with Lance's game early in the season when I watched him, but the kid just looked bored... That won't be the case in Lawrence... Here's to hoping that the kid actually ends up in a Jayhawk uniform - I'll definitely be bummed if I did all this writing and the kid doesn't make it to KU - and that he gets his act together, grows up in the process and represents the program like KU fans have come to expect... Rock Chalk.
Comments
truehawk93 (anonymous) says...
Here, Here Freddy D...I couldn't have said it better!!
April 12, 2009 at 10:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Theutus (anonymous) says...
Lets be honest... Do you really think 1 year in Lawrence is going to take this kid from the thug he is, and turn him into DJack?
If he comes to Kansas, I'll be as skeptical as anyone, because I fully expect him to remain the thug he is.
Signed, the Realist.
April 12, 2009 at 10:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
FreddyD (anonymous) says...
Actually Theutus, I do think at least one year in Lawrence could do a world of good for Lance Stephenson, and its unfortunate that you refer to the kid as a thug... Like I said, the kid isn't perfect and he has things to work on, both on and off the court, but the track record for kids that succeed at KU is far better than for those that fail... There is something about Lawrence Kansas that is truly unlike any place I've ever been, and I've talked to people from both coasts who agree that the tranquility of Lawrence and the beauty of the campus brings a sense of calm to those that aren't used to it - and suffice to say - Lance hasn't seen nor experienced anything like Lawrence while spending his past 17 years in the concrete jungle of NYC... Also, would KU fans please stop comparing every kid that comes to KU to Darnell Jackson... Darnell was a different kind of guy that didn't have near the athletic nor basketball ability of most of the kids Self brings in, especially a Lance Stephenson... That said, Darnell is a model of what we expect of our KU players, but not every kid is wired like he is, so god forbid if Lance doesn't stick around all four years and become the lovable fan favorite... Sherron's no Darnell, do we think any less of him? Cut Lance some slack, have faith in Coach Self and I guarantee if the kid comes to KU, helps bring the Hawks two titles in three years with no incident - everybody will still celebrate.
April 13, 2009 at 7:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Theutus (anonymous) says...
I'll stop comparing people to Darnell when you stop giving kids a copout by saying "Oh my god he grew up in the concrete jungle that is NY".
So what. Talk about a weak excuse. It's a crutch, and a copout. One of the nicest guys I've ever met grew up in Compton, and was shot twice growing up.
No excuses. You act like a man, and I'll treat you like a man. You act like a thug.....
April 13, 2009 at 8:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
FreddyD (anonymous) says...
I'm not giving the kid a crutch for growing up in NYC, but if you don't think the kid can benefit from being in Lawrence after spending time in NYC, well, that's your problem... I guess knowing nice people from Compton qualifies you to disparage 17-year-old kids that have made mistakes... I know a nice guy from Newark who used to sell drugs and he's since changed his life, but I guess it's not worth wasting time on people who haven't had a chance to mature... I don't know Lance at all, but I'm a big believer in giving kids a chance... And hey, if the kid shows up here and becomes the next JR Giddens, well, the egg's on my face and you chalk it up to a lesson learned... But to dismiss the kid as a thug, unless you have some inside information or first-hand experience with Lance, I'll wait to pass judgement...
April 13, 2009 at 9:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Theutus (anonymous) says...
I'm not saying the kid can't change, i'm not saying he doesn't deserve a chance.
I'm saying I'd rather take Xavier and CJ and not have to babysit a thug....
What do we know about Lance? He threw a basketball at another players face for a light foul, he cusses his coaches out routinely, and then he's got the whole sexual harassment thing... Honestly, for a player who's only going to spend 1 year in Kansas anyway, i don't see him being worth our time/effort. Kansas basketball isn't a half-way house for troubled teens.
April 13, 2009 at 9:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RonBurgandy (anonymous) says...
Theutus, if you have such a problem with Lance Stephenson, good for you.
However, I would take the guy in a second to play for KU. Not one iota of hesitation on my part.
April 13, 2009 at 10:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Theutus (anonymous) says...
By all means, this is a forum... We're all just expressing our own opinions...
April 13, 2009 at 10:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Maxhawk (anonymous) says...
He is a thug
April 13, 2009 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CaramelMacchMan (anonymous) says...
Good Article!
April 13, 2009 at 11:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truehawk93 (anonymous) says...
I like his physical play and believe with Self's coaching, his physical play will be dynamite. I like it when a kid is physical, people call him a "thug". If he plays soft and whines, people would call him a "whuss". I'll take a kid who can hold his own against a physical defense any day. It will be interesting on the court. The kid can dish it out, BUT he can also take it too without whining. I've never heard him cry victim. He admits growing up in his neighborhood, you have to play with a "thug like" mentality. If you don't, you'll get ran off the court!! Come on Realist, be real!
April 13, 2009 at 12:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Theutus (anonymous) says...
We're not calling him a "thug" because he whines and plays soft. We are calling him a thug because he threw a basketball at another players face, as hard as he could, over a light foul.
And he cusses his coaches out constantly... Crying foul because he's being taken out of the game. That and he's got a sexual harassment charge already....
Still being a realist... The kid seems like more trouble than he's worth.
April 13, 2009 at 12:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sprayhawk (anonymous) says...
I think we would all basically agree the HCBS knows how to recruit high level talent and knows what type of 'image' KU needs/wants to put forth. I also think that HCBS wouldn't put into jeopardy a tarnished image if he thought that a recruit was bringing bad baggage with him.
Because of this, if HCBS is actively recruiting Lance, I'm all for him coming to KU. HCBS has demonstrated that he's a pretty good judge of character and he probably knows alot more about this young man than I do.
April 13, 2009 at 12:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truehawk93 (anonymous) says...
Exactly! He needs to be taken out of the environment and given a good coach that has transformed similar players. I think Self will coach him and he'll mature into a great player. Also, when he's around other players that are as good if not better, that has a way of humbling a young guy!
I know a player who came to campus as a freshman and decided to play jokes from his dorm room. He's doing well and will turn out to be a great player!! Frankly, I think he's a great young guy and will grow quite nicely.
This is exactly why Lance's dad wants to get him out of his environment. Give him a chance and this diamond in the rough will transform into a disciplined player.
April 13, 2009 at 1:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhawk613 (anonymous) says...
Haven't we given him a chance to come to KU?
It's been a while since we offered the scholarship.
How many more "chances" do we have to give...?
April 13, 2009 at 1:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tennesseest (anonymous) says...
With respect to the original blog, Spot On! Sherron is a perfect mentor for Lance. Both are from tough- TOUGH - neighborhoods. When they come out of high school of coarse they act like "thugs" compared to the kids growing up in KC, Minnesota, Alaska(haha). That's how they have to act in order to shine above the rest. Alliteration aside, give Lance a chance, after all he is 17 years old! All I'm saying is that Lance has won 4 State Titles. He obviously isn't just playing for the name on the back of his jersey.
April 13, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jchief40 (anonymous) says...
Lance is no thug. If it was going to be such a PR problem they wouldn't have put that on the Born Ready website. You weren't there anyway so how do you know? If that happened in school then THAT would be cause for concern. It didn't it happened in street ball. I don't give a rats arse!
April 13, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawkinmullen (anonymous) says...
jhawk613 as many as it takes we want championships and in order to get them we need talent. I think lance will be just fine he is still just a kid self will will make him a man.
April 13, 2009 at 4:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mizzousucks89 (anonymous) says...
You're completely right freddy, but Mullen has a point too. We need talent, but i dont know, i would much rather have a guy that doesnt need his upper classmen teammates focussingon him.
April 13, 2009 at 7:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KUSmurf (anonymous) says...
I think we need to go hard for Lance now. I don't see Xavier coming to KU anymore. Just read an interview he had with ESPN and he seemed to be more interested in whether Jodie Meeks was coming back or not than whether Cole and Sherron were.
April 14, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bballpurist (anonymous) says...
I believe X and Lance should be able to immediately able to pursue their dreams at 18 years old and be drafted for the NBA. If they can be drafted for the military at 18, they should not be bound by the chains of the tax-exempt, yes tax-exempt as I write on tax day, NCAA money making machine with some of the slickest racketeers ripping off these players to pad their own pockets. Miles Brand is one of the biggest offenders. The only chalk he should be kicking up is in the state pen on their makeshift basketball court. Why have them waste a year until the pros to add a few credits for classes they most likely will get no education from anyway. You're all playing into this. Let these guys go pro immedately. I hope they keep going to play internationally like Jennings or someone forms a separate pre-NBA non-NBA owned league to stop this abuse of the players.
April 15, 2009 at 9:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KUSmurf (anonymous) says...
I have to agree, I would rather they went straight to the NBA then have a one and done (especially considering they are legally considered adults). It's more fun when the player sticks around for more than a year.
April 15, 2009 at 6:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dmoneyball (anonymous) says...
Carl says UK is the leader for his sons.
http://ukbasketball.bloginky.com/
So for all you Lance haters out there, I hope you realize that he is our last option now for signing a top recruit and despite what some of you may think, we do in fact need a talented shooting guard such as Lance to help take some of the heat off of Sherron.
April 15, 2009 at 8:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KUSmurf (anonymous) says...
Well that sucks. We need to go hard for Lance now, or we won't get anyone.
April 15, 2009 at 8:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bballpurist (anonymous) says...
For next year, KU is all set without anyone else added to the mix. KU is top 5 without Lance or Xavier Henry or John Wall. If they're gone after one year, it's not devastating at all to the program. Self will reload for the class of 2010. Makes sense, no?
April 16, 2009 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Theutus (anonymous) says...
Make no mistake, KU doesn't need Lance. Lance needs KU.
It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if we moved forward without any new recruits.
April 16, 2009 at 1:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )