Kansas basketball signee DeShawn Stevenson has college on his mind, not the NBA.
So reports Stevenson’s mother, Genece Popps, who disputes an ESPN.com article that indicates her son is “looking to set up some pro workouts before deciding whether or not to declare for the NBA draft.”
“That’s news to us. I wonder where he (ESPN Internet writer Andy Katz) got that. We’re planning on getting a plane ticket for orientation at Kansas as soon as we hear he’s passed the test,” Popps said Sunday from her home in Fresno, Calif.
Stevenson, a 6-foot-5 guard from Fresno’s Washington High, signed with the Jayhawks last November. He verbally committed to KU in mid-October, shortly after returning home form Late Night with Roy Williams.
Stevenson definitely wants to attend KU, the only hangup the fact he’s yet to qualify for a scholarship.
“He’s confident he passed the one (test) he took on April 8,” Popps said of the SAT. “He’s had a tutor helping him. He’s confident. We’re confident. We just want to get this out of the way and get to Kansas,” she added confidently.
Stevenson took the SAT April 8 for the first time since his sophomore year in high school. His mother says he needs a score of 820 to be eligible to play at KU.
As far as the ACT, Stevenson has a score of 55, his mother said. He needs a 59 to be a partial qualifier and a 68 to be a full qualifier. A partial qualifier can practice but not play in games. A full qualifier is eligible to both practice and compete in games.
“He will retake the ACT on April 24, then can take the SAT on May 6, the SAT on June 3 and the ACT on June 10,” Popps said, hoping her son won’t have to take the tests that many times to record a qualifying score.
Stevenson recently was away from Fresno for 18 days. He played in the McDonald’s All-America game in Boston, then went to the Final Four in Indianapolis, and after that headed to Raleigh, N.C., for the Sonna Vaccaro Roundball Classic.
He combined for 41 points in the two all-star games and helped his team claim victory twice.
In his four seasons at Washington Union High, Stevenson scored 2,456 points with 813 rebounds and 722 assists. This past season, he averaged 28 points, 10.7 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and 1.6 blocks in leading the Panthers to the section Division 3 championship.
The deadline for declaring for the NBA Draft is May 14. If a high schooler declares, the door is closed on a player’s chances of playing at a four-year school.
“The all-star games were a lot of fun. I think DeShawn was a little tired in North Carolina,” Popps said. “He’s happy to be back home, going to school and studying.”
Gary Bedore’s phone number is 832-7186. His e-mail address is gbedore@ljworld.com
