by Ben Osborne
Having not spoken to the Stephenson family since Cincy played at St. John’s in January, I was startled to hear from Lance and his father this morning. I was not startled by wrote they wrote, however. In short, Lance is going to the NBA. They call him Born Ready, and now will be his chance to prove it. Good luck, Lance.
Here’s the complete text I received at 8:05 AM:
“What’s up Ben ? I have decided to withdraw from the University of Cincinnati and enter my name into this year’s NBA draft. After carefully reviewing my options, it is now clear to me that the need to emotionally and financially support my family, especially my young daughter, along with my long-standingand burning passion to play in the NBA, outweighs my desire to return to the University of Cincinnati.
I want to thank the administration, the athletic department and the entire coaching staff especially Mick Cronin and Tony Stubblefield at the University of Cincinnati for their support and guidance overthe course of this past year. It was and always will be a privilege to be a Bearcat.”
