Bailey to UMass
Memphis coach John Calipari confirmed to me
Defending NCAA champion Kansas may have lost five players in Thursday’s NBA Draft, but the Jayhawks are busy reloading for the future. And they’re coming hard at the New York metropolitan area.
Kansas is recruiting four super-talented wing players from the Class of 2009, including Lance Stephenson of Brooklyn Lincoln (who is now also considering Europe and the Army); Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony in Jersey City; Xavier Henry of Oklahoma City Putnam City; and Jordan Hamilton of Dominguez. Rivals ranks Henry the No. 1 shooting guard and Hamilton the No. 1 small forward in the Class. The Jayhawks can’t take all of these guys, but if they land one it’ll mean a big score.
Stephenson, Cheek and Kansas freshman-to-be Travis Releford will all be in Washington, D.C. next week for the USA Basketball U18 team trials at the Verizon Center. Twenty-five players will compete for 12 roster spots.
Keon Lawrence, a former All-New Jersey guard
Lance Stephenson said he would consider joining the Army or playing in Europe instead of going to college after next season.
I spoke with both Lance and his father Lance Sr. this afternoon at the Steve Nash Nike Skills Academy here at Kean University and they confirmed that both were viable options.
“I think I want the education so I think I would go to college,” said Lance, one of the top players in the Class of 2009 and a rising senior at Brooklyn Lincoln High School. “I’m looking at Brandon (Jennings) right now, see how he’s doing. If he goes there (to Europe) then I’ll see how it is. If I do it, then I’ll do it, but right now I’m thinking about college.”
Jennings might play in Europe next season instead of going to Arizona because he is not yet qualified to play in college. Some have speculated that if Jennings follows that path, it could set a trend for players like Stephenson and Renardo Sidney to follow suit.
The first three picks in the 2008 NBA Draft, and five of the first seven, were college freshmen.
Derrick Rose went No. 1 to Chicago, Michael Beasley No. 2 to Miami and O.J. Mayo No. 3 to Minnesota.
Later, Mayo and fellow frosh Kevin Love were swapped in an eight-player deal with Mayo going to Memphis and Love to Minnesota.
All told, 12 frosh were chosen, including seven in the lottery, topping last year’s mark of 8. Six were picked in the ’01 Draft and three apiece in ’04 and ’00.
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