Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Lance Stephenson isn’t making the trip to Kansas for “Late Night in the Phog” tonight, but it looks like he’ll be very busy in the Big Apple this weekend.
The 6-foot-5 Stephenson will begin by playing Saturday afternoon at 4:30 in the semifinals of the is8 against New Heights in Queens. Durand Scott and the Gauchos meet the Playaz Seniors in the first semifinal at 3.
If Stephenson and Juice win, they would play in Sunday’s is8 championship game at 11 a.m.
On top of that, Lance is one of the headliners — along with Tobias Harris, St. John’s commit Omari Lawrence and Maryland commit James Padgett — on Saturday night (7:30) for the 2nd Annual Jim Couch Games at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. The New York-Metro game will be preceded by freshmen and a girls games. (See below for the rosters.)
In other Lance news, Lincoln will take on Xavier Henry and Putnam City (Ok.) on Dec. 11 on one of the ESPN channels.
“It’ll be exciting,” Henry told The Oklahoman. “Especially since it’s on TV.”
The uncommitted Henry is down to Memphis and Kansas. Stephenson is considering Kansas, Memphis, St. John’s, USC and UCLA.
“I’m not really worried about going head-to-head with him,” Henry said of Stephenson. “I just want to win the game.”
JIM COUCH ROSTERS
Metro Team:
Tobias Harris - Lutheran
Tyler Harris - Lutheran
Josh Malone - Deer Park
James Padgett - Lincoln
Paul Bilbo - St. Dominic
Marquis Dumas - Bayshore
Justin Toussaint - Cardozo
Omari Lawrence - South Kent
Lance Stephenson - Lincoln
Mike Buffalo - Wings Academy
Chad Williams - Bishop Ford
Anton Dickerson - Boys & Girls
Mike Taylor - Boys & Girls
New York Team:
New York All-Stars:
Kamari Murphy - Bishop Ford
Sherrod Wright - Mount Vernon
Jason Morris - Hotchkiss School
Durand Scott - Rice
Mike Poole - St. Benedict’s Prep
Jordan Lesane - Mount Vernon
Shea Smith - John F. Kennedy
Dashaun Wiggins-Wings Academy
Trevor Dillard - Thurgood Marshall
Antoine Hackman - Thurgood Marshall
Nkereuwem Okoro - St. Raymond’s
Naquan Pierce - John F. Kennedy
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.