Jeff,

Despite this story, I believe Stephenson has a great chance of being a Terp by the end of the month.

Here is what is known...

1) Stephenson visited MD

2) Gary and the coaching staff visited Stephenson in NY

3) Stephenson's HS teammate Padgett is coming to MD

4) MD recruited Stephenson for months..

5) Stephenson wanted to go to Kansas... when Henry left Memphis for Kansas, that made Stephenson go looking again.

6) Stephenson wanted to get the court-case over with (trial at the end of June) prior to selecting a college.

7) Just last week, Stephenson and his father spoke to Zagsblog.com, where FL was eliminated... Arizona was said to want to stay with their existing 3 man class... Memphis appeared to have no traction, and Europe was again ruled out as an option. In that same article, it was mentioned how the Stephenson's were in constant contact with the MD coaching staff, and how they expected resolution shortly.

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/06/11/florida-out-for-lance-maryland-the-leader/#more-17731

Now, MD knows all that... has been recruiting Stephenson all this time... sees resolution is coming... and pulls out of the running? I doubt it, just does not make sense.

If you pull out now, you stand to irritate a lot of people in NY which is not exactly a great move recruiting wise.

The one source is saying Stephenson has not been in the recruiting picture for 3 weeks? Than why are both Stephenson's saying last week that they have been in constant contact with the coaching staff?

What would have possibly changed for MD to decide to pull-out now?

Vasquez returning?

Lets look back at Vasquez's March quote:

[B][I]“If I come back, my goal is not going to be just to make the tournament,” Vasquez said. “My goal is to win a national championship. But, in the meantime, we’ve got to get Lance [Stephenson]. With a big-time scorer I can guarantee you a lot of things.” [/I][/B]

Put it this way, if Stephenson's case is cleared, and he tells the MD Coaching staff he wants to come to MD, I will be shocked if he is not handed a Terp uniform.
---FROM JEFF----
I think there has been so much misinformation out there about Lance that fans no longer know what to believe. Which is sad. You've really got to consider what sources of information you are going to trust.

It's over and maybe that's a good thing. We've all beeni in pick-up games with guys like Lance. They spend half the game berating teammates and the other half jacking up bad shots. Let him go. I hear Calipari has some cash and is putting a new team together

The decision to stop pursuing "Born Ready" and GV's decision to return for his senior year were such sweet music to my ears! The best news for Maryland basketball.

Chris - you wrong in so many ways. Its time to abandon your flawed list of reasons, faith in zagsblog, and put down the crack pipe. Listen to Jeff. He's not going to throw it out there unless the news is from credible sources.

We do not need a self-absorbed one-and-done who is only interested in self-promotion until he becomes eligible for the NBA draft. Too bad he has evidently been getting bad advice from his "handlers" for too long. Probably can't spell "team" let alone understand the concept that it's more important than his personal goals.

I honestly dont care how "talented" he may be but I understand the interest in him. I'm happy to see GW has decided to move on for all the right reasons.

Jeff,

Where is the misinformation though?

Via email this might appear confrontational, but it is not… just a conversation.

I totally believe you have been told that MD is no longer recruiting Stephenson - but I am not sure that equates to Stephenson definitively not becoming a Terp.

If anything, I take it as MD has made their pitch to Stephenson… and if he is going to come to MD at this point, it will be because Stephenson comes to the MD coaches and says College Park is where he wants to be.

Again, I do not see where the misinformation is.

We know that Stephenson visited MD… and has not visited Arizona or Memphis.

We know that Stephenson wanted to go to Kansas, and when that did not happen, he reopened his recruitment.

We know that he eliminated St John's, Florida, and has repeatedly eliminated Europe.

We know that Padgett is coming to MD, and we know that the MD coaches have visited Stephenson in NY, and stayed in contact according to Stephenson.

We know that Stephenson has said for months that MD is high on the radar.

We know that Stephenson has said for several weeks that he wanted his late-June court-case over before he selected a College.

We know that Vasquez has said if he returned, part of the reason is to win… and that he believed adding another scorer like Stephenson was required.

We know that MD is returning 3 Seniors (Vasquez, Milbourne, Hayes), 4 Juniors (Bowie, Tucker, Gregory, RS Jr Burney), 3 Sophs (Mosley, Kim, Goins)… and is adding two Frosh that will help the post (Williams, Padgett).

That leaves 1 scholarship available, and there is only 1 unsigned Top 10 National Talent that you have been recruiting for months… only 1 player on the board that can take a team that should probably go to the S16, and give them Final 4 aspirations.

Knowing all this, it just does not make sense to me that MD is now completely done with Stephenson.

They might be done with actively recruiting him, but if Stephenson says he wants to be a Terp; MD is going to now say no?

If MD would say no… that points to other issues that have not been made public.
---FROM JEFF---
No worries. I understand what you're saying. I'm not saying your facts aren't right. I'm just saying I take my sources at face value who say without equivocating that Maryland isn't recruiting Lance Stephenson. When I talk about misinformation, I'm talking about from many fronts -- even from Lance himself saying, for example, that he would announce his choice at the McDonald's game several months ago.

Jeff,

Good job on getting the facts on Sir Lance or Not.

I also like the feedback you give to your readers - thanks
----FROM JEFF-----
Thanks, amigo.

Stephenson should go where he will be paid! Maybe K-State could pay his dad $420,000 to be an assistant coach? He has no interest in college other than using it as a one year NBA training camp. His morals, maturity, grades, attitude, and dad are all problomatic to say the least.

As a Terp alum it makes me sick to see us being played by a high school kid. Stephenson should either play in Europe or play for his hometown with St. Johns. I've seen him play and he is not the second coming of Len Bias!

Jeff, how do you know Gary wasn't talking about DeShawn Painter, who the Terps were recruiting heavily after he dumped UF and eventually went to NC State? That happened in roughly the same time period.

A lot of you people are so far fetched with these stories. the media is so mad that lance and his dad are not giving any info, that they are making up stuff from this point on I'll believe it when i see it. Scouting reports are so mad the man has went from the number one prospect to the 15th get real when lance shows up at maryland i'll be laughing to the bank!!!!!!
-----FROM JEFF-----
I'm not feeling particularly angry at anyone, doc.

Jeff, Trying to follow the ever-shifting plot lines of the ongoing Greivis and Lance melodramas over the last month or so has been dizzying.

Only three days before Vasquez announced his return to the Terps, Scott Howard-Cooper of Sports Illustrated, heard him say after a Sacramento King's tryout: "I'm all in. I'm not thinking about going back to school." Now, although I took that with a large grain of salt, I still figured Greivis had reason to be encouraged by what NBA teams were telling him.

So his return to the Terps, though by no means a shock, still was the sudden change from his "I'm all in" mindset of a few days ago and hence a mild surprise.

(I want to add something to what you listed as Greivis' strengths, which were size, and the abilities to penetrate and to rebound. What about his passion for the game, which ups the passion of his teammates when he's on the floor with them?)

What is a shock is the news that Gary Williams hasn't been recruiting Stephenson over the past weeks, since it is roughly over the same time frame that Maryland's chances of landing him were improving almost by the day, to the point that the Terps had emerged as the frontrunners.

In fact, every indicator was pointing to College Park as Born Ready's fall destination. After being knocked to the canvas repeatedly by "sources close to Lance," it looked like Gary and his assistants were finally going to get the last laugh.

And then this?

What makes it so peculiar is how doggedly Gary went after Stephenson. From personally attending one of his game to the meeting in the Stephenson home, Williams seemed determined to make his very best effort to sign this highly talented player.

This was going to be the coup that shut up the critics who said he couldn't recruit the best talent, that would make this fall's team hit the Top 25 in the polls, who would lead to bigger and better recruiting classes in the future.

And then just to back away when so close to the prize? Very puzzling, to say the least. My question is this, Jeff: We saw Greivis have an eleventh hour change of heart; do you see any similar scenario possible regarding Gary's pursuit of Lance, since we know how much he'd like to have that talent on the floor next season?

In other words, is this decision not to recruit something that may be revisited or is it irrevocable? Thanks for your great work.
----FROM JEFF-----
Thanks for that. Recruiting is such a crazy biz -- and Lance Stephenson's recruiting in particular -- that I guess it's possible Maryland could have a change of heart. But I can't express strongly enough how adamant my sources were on Monday that Lance was no longer on Maryland's radar.

Stephenson may have been "Born Ready" but I don't think the U of M was ready for him. He does not sound like the "team" player Gary needs. Good riddance. Go Terps!

Jeff, Oh, I don't doubt for a moment what you're saying is true; still, it's a truly amazing turn of events. I'm sure Gary and his staff have done due diligence before making what for him was a really tough decision (tough only in the sense of letting go of the opportunity to land a major talent).

If it comes down to a situation where the integrity of the program could be compromised by getting a player, we know Gary will walk away from it in a heartbeat, and that looks to be what we have here.

Sad to lose a player who could be a difference maker, but it's good to see Gary not flinch when it comes to valuing lasting principle over short term gain. It's the way he's always been, and UM fans should be grateful to have a coach with such high integrity.

Guys, this isn't rocket science. I think I speak for all Maryland alumni when I say we want the very best recruits possible, but risking your program and NCAA infractions simply isn't worth it. Remember, when Gary Williams came to Maryland he took on a program that was recently slapped with NCAA infractions. He's not about to sink the program for some screw up kid.

There are rumors out there that Stephenson is involved with this "Born Ready.TV" website and that the NCAA would possibly slap any school that takes him with violations. Not sure exactly what the concern is - but I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that the website is selling ad space. Is Lance getting a cut of that? Who knows.

I suggest all Maryland fans visit www.bornready.tv and watch the first video entitled "Who is Lance Stephenson" - especially the highlights about 1:40 into that video where he throws a basketball at an opposing player's head.

I don't care how good you are. If you're only willing to invest 1 year in school, have anger problems and could potentially bring NCAA violations to the school that recruits you, it isn't worth the risk. Especially when you look at the class that Gary Williams is putting together for 2010!!

Maryland doesn't need "Born Ready".

Terps do not need a guy who will be "one and done".

BR has too many issues, both legal and with the posse. Gary and the Terps and UMD Admin do not need this.

Lets win with Grevis, the returning team, and the other commits we have coming in this fall.

GO TERPS !

If MD ended their pursuit of BR then there must be good reasons. We certainly need him so if Gary says it's over I trust it's for the best of the program.

Somehow I feel pity for Lance. He may not end up at K-state, NBA, or anything, but K-mart. It's probably more fault by his parents and those adults around him, rather than his own doing that he has fallen from hot commodity to hot potato. They should help him install humble nature and not to assume any entitlement. These parents and adults mentors actually waste these kids’ talent by only giving what they want to hear or demanding what is not reasonable to others. Remember Tamir Goodman? His mother demanded Gary to guarantee Goodman playing time before even set a foot at MD court. How assuming.
On the other hand, two former Terps (Steve Blake and Shaun Hill) achieves playing at the highest level of their sports by their humble nature, working hard, and not assuming anything (especially, Shaun). I don’t think they were that highly regarded and talented as Lance is at that stage of their career. I would rather MD continues to have these kind of players.

Ready for some off-the-charts super hype, folks?

According to BornReady.TV, Lance Stephenson is "The #1 ranked high school basketball player in the country. " Wow, ranked number one by whom, BornReady.TV maybe?

Certainly not by the coaches of America! LOL

Maybe Gary Williams finally took a look at that website and decided he didn't need someone who thinks he's above the team. (And all you Greivis-bashers reading this, don't go there, because it's not true.)

Lance: Good vs. Bad (assuming one-and-done)

Good: With a large exodus of ACC talent, Lance coupled with Vasquez and an experienced supporting cast could bring a "shock and aw" campaign against ACC foes. We could be quite a force.

Bad: Lance could disrupt the development of young players under the leadership of experienced seniors.

Good: Or he could raise their game quicker.

Bad: Or they may leave too, or transfer.

Good: Win now...

Bad: ...while sleeping with the devil.

Good: Final Four

Bad: hang his uniform next to Steve Francis'

Good: Everyone acts like a Lance fan

Bad: Everyone acts like a Lance fan

Good: He leaves after one year

Bad: He leaves after one year

Doesn't Born Ready play in Cleveland? (Will the real Born Ready, please stand up. Please stand up.)

Smug

Jeff, does this mean we've rescinded the scholarship offer and the door to UMD is closed or have our coaches simply decided to expend no more effort in his recruitment?
------FROM JEFF----
One key source said flatly that Stephenson won't be coming to Maryland. Could this change? I guess anything is possible but the statement was made without any equivocating. Other papers trying to confirm the story have heard much the same thing. Hope that helps.

Personally I don't want anything to do with this kid. Sure bringing him in could give us a chance at a good NCAA run this year but it would also run the risk of setting our program back if we get hit with NCAA violations because of him (there has been talk that his TV reality show might violate NCAA regulations). I don't see any need for Gary to bring in the kind of distractions and baggage that Stephenson undoubtably brings. I do think the fact that we have made such an effot to get Stephenson is a good sign for our program because he is really the first "one and done guy" Gary has ever gone after. I believe the days of Maryland winning with "Gary" players (four year guys who work hard and overachieve) are long gone and in order for us to get back to the promise land we need to bring in one and dones in the future, but why not wait another year and go after a guy who will help put Terp basketball back on the map for the right reasons.

I agree with those who think we dont need Lance. I like the team cheistry I see with our returnees and our two new freshman bigs.

Its about TEAM and everyone who is returning or coming in seems to understand that.

Why risk all the potentially negative possibilities with an obviously self-absorbed, self-promoting 'one and done' and his posse of handlers?
Lance doesnt guarantee anything even if he's "that good" and then where are we next year when he's gone?

Until the NCAA/NBA changes the rule to a two year deal, all these self-proclaimed hot shot HS prodigies should go to Europe and learn some life-skills as well as a global education. It might be a better experience overall for both their personal and professional growth & development. They certainly are prepared or interested in attending college like a normal student. Give those seats to kids who want to be there and get an education.