DeShawn Stevenson is maintaining a low profile as his senior year at Fresno, Calif.’s Washington High concludes.
Stevenson, who is taking final exams, has refused all Fresno media requests to discuss his decision to enter the NBA Draft and not attend Kansas University on basketball scholarship.
Stevenson’s mom, Genice Popps, told the Fresno Bee, “He’s 19 years old, it’s up to him to say.”
She did say KU coach Roy Williams had been asked to spread the news, which Williams did on Monday. If Stevenson is drafted in the first round, he will receive a guaranteed contract valued between $1.9 million and $9.4 million under the league’s rookie salary structure. Second-round picks do not receive guaranteed contracts.
Sonny Vaccaro of Adidas, told the Fresno Bee he hadn’t spoken to Stevenson in two weeks and had nothing to do with the player’s decision to skip college.
“I had very little to do with it,” Vaccaro told the Fresno Bee. “All I know is DeShawn will go in the first round, and anybody who doesn’t believe that should stay close to their TV sets June 28.”
