The Dagger - NCAAB

Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:35 am EDT

Lance Stephenson: Cincinnati it is

Last night, Lance Stephenson made the most recent batch of rumors about his never-ending, tenuous recruitment real. He chose to play basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats, meaning I again have to go through a post where I struggle to not type "Cincinatti" instead of "Cincinnati." I don't know why I do that, but I always do.

Naturally, there are bigger issues at stake than my weird spelling tics. Chief among them is the theme -- common by this point -- that Doc Brown just screeched up in the Delorean and shuffled the Bearcats back to the future. After all, former University of Cincinnati President Nancy Zimpher devoted much of her energies to ridding the basketball program of the perception that it was willing to take on questionable recruits with negligible interest in academics. Part of these energies involved asking Bob Huggins to take his mock turtlenecks and go home. And so Cincinnati was clean and quiet, for a little while.

On June 1, Zimpher officially left the school to become president at SUNY. Already, the Bearcats are back in the game. With Stephenson, emphatically so. It's hard to emphasize just how questionable Stephenson is: there are already issues surrounding his eligibility (the NCAA will be launching an investigation into an MTV2 show about Stephenson's life any day now), his attitude, his pending sexual assault case, and so on. Throw in the usual risks you take with one-and-done players -- they don't show up for class in the spring at best; they aid in a complete and utter breakdown of your program at worst -- and you can see the stakes here. Cincinnati isn't just playing a risky bet. They're going all in.

It reeks of desperation, which, little known fact, actually smells like Bob Huggins's cologne. And so the circle of life is complete.

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911 Comments

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  1. y2andru
    1. Posted by y2andru Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:14 am EDT

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    Cincy....the natural choice.
  2. RCL46
    2. Posted by RCL46 Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:44 pm EDT

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    ...And if he went to Kansas, Kentucky or Maryland would you be saying the same thing. Xavier Henry's (Kansas)father says "Xavier doesn't like to go to class", or Kentucky where John Wall was arrested prior to his signing, or Maryland where the CEO of Under Armor just happened to be a Maryland grad who took Lance on a factory tour prior to his official visit.. Give me a break...these are 18 year old kids who are going to make millions for their schools. Why is Lance the poster child?
  3. a89
    3. Posted by a89 Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:57 pm EDT

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    ?
  4. Steven
    4. Posted by Steven Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:00 pm EDT

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    Give a trouble maker a few million dollars to play with
  5. Heals
    5. Posted by Heals Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:07 pm EDT

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    cincinnati...home for every questionable recruit/draft pick
  6. David
    6. Posted by David Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:07 pm EDT

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    This guy is gonna be in prison in the nect five years anyway...just another thug basketball player.
  7. Ryan
    7. Posted by Ryan Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:11 pm EDT

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    this makes ker to me and it helps in so many kerlicous ways. ker
  8. Ryan
    8. Posted by Ryan Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:12 pm EDT

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    im so excited i just cant hide (my ker ways) it.
  9. FOXY
    9. Posted by FOXY Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:12 pm EDT

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    ?
  10. Jeffrey
    10. Posted by Jeffrey Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:12 pm EDT

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    ya cincy is rhe way to go
  11. michael
    11. Posted by michael Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:13 pm EDT

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    laugh at anyone named "darrell"
  12. Ryan
    12. Posted by Ryan Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:13 pm EDT

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    maybe what he is doing is of them being of good basketball player so he can of the bestest in NbA. IS What he do best is play basketball.
  13. Jeff W
    13. Posted by Jeff W Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    Cincinnati has sucked since Huggins left.
  14. Tianne M
    14. Posted by Tianne M Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    article sucks
  15. gingerkim
    15. Posted by gingerkim Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    i been following lance on born ready his family is so nice and they are devoted parents
    and lance dad was a hell of a basketball player in his day
    i hope lance do well and enjoy the moment
    fat joe is a big supporter of him , as well as the hip hop community
  16. gingerkim
    16. Posted by gingerkim Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    i been following lance on born ready his family is so nice and they are devoted parents
    and lance dad was a hell of a basketball player in his day
    i hope lance do well and enjoy the moment
    fat joe is a big supporter of him , as well as the hip hop community
  17. f
    17. Posted by f Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    wow, people really care about this stuff? haha....
  18. KING
    18. Posted by KING Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    He should have gone to the university of neverland
  19. TBD
    19. Posted by TBD Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    Wow #18 got some hatred issues.
  20. Ryan
    20. Posted by Ryan Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:14 pm EDT

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    he be of good basketball player. so what doesnt working would be good for of him
  21. Johnny G
    21. Posted by Johnny G Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:15 pm EDT

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    i make the same mistake spelling cincinnati so. go RU
  22. queenie
    22. Posted by queenie Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:15 pm EDT

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    Mr. Brennon, basketball holds no interest for me at all, but I know a succinct, clever, well-written short piece when I read it...well done !
  23. f
    23. Posted by f Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:15 pm EDT

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    wow people actually care about this stuff? haha....

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