March 2009 | Page 12 of 18

Kansas is sending in its closer for Lance Stephenson.

Kansas assistant Danny Manning, who led the Jayhawks to the NCAA championship in 1988, is recruiting the 6-foot-5 Stephenson hard. He attended a Lincoln practice last week, according to a source.

Kansas figures that if Stephenson wants to develop into an NBA player at a high-level program, who better to teach him than Manning, the No. 1 overall pick by the L.A. Clippers in the 1988 NBA Draft?

Lance Stephenson, Lincoln High School, Marquette, St. John's

Marquette Ends Johnnies' Season

March 11, 2009

author: Adam Zagoria

NEW YORK – St. John’s could’ve used

Rutgers

Brian Okam to Rutgers

March 11, 2009

author: Adam Zagoria

Rutgers addressed its need for frontcourt help by securing a verbal commitment from Brian Okam, a raw 7-foot, 245-pound center from Highland Prep School in Orlando, Fla.

A native of Nigeria, Okam attended Archbishop Carroll in Washington, D.C. and Montrose (Md.) Christian before coming to Highland Park. He is out of high school eligibility because he played in the eighth grade and thus did not compete with Highland Park during the 2008-09 season.

Okam chose Rutgers over Georgia Tech.

Providence

Providence Helps NCAA Bid With Win

March 11, 2009

author: Adam Zagoria

NEW YORK – Providence fought off DePaul’s second straight upset bid and remained alive for an NCAA Tournament berth.

The No. 8 Friars downed No. 16 DePaul 83-74 at Madison Square Garden behind Sharaud Curry’s 25 points, Weyinmi Efejuku’s 23 and Jeff Xavier’s 12.

“I think we’ve done enough that we’re going to be considered strongly [for the NCAAs],” Providence coach Keno Davis said. “I think we are squarely on the bubble. I know that playing Louisville tomorrow, win or lose I don’t think it hurts us if we lose.

Rutgers

Gary Waters is Dancing, Rutgers is Not

March 11, 2009

author: Adam Zagoria

Gary Waters is going dancing, and Rutgers is not.

Behind 19 points from former St. John’s guard Cedric Jackson, Waters’ Cleveland State team downed No. 17 Butler 57-54 Tuesday night to capture the Horizon League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The coach raised two fists to the air in celebration, an image that is all over this morning’s SportsCenter.

“For the program, it’s unbelievable,” Waters said Wednesday morning by phone. “That program was dormant, it was just there and nobody really paid any attention to it. Now we can go out and we can recruit and bring people into this program.”

Seton Hall