
Brooklyn’s Lance Stephenson might be the most decorated New York City basketball player since Stephon Marbury or Sebastian Telfair, and it’s beginning to look like he’s going to end up in a similar place to where they did: incredible talent squandered. Stephenson, who was more a role player than a star for Cincinnati this year, announced this morning that he’s leaving the university after this freshman year to enter the NBA Draft. It’s a questionable decision, to say the least: Another year or two of college would almost certainly raise his stock above the high-second-round spot he’s projected for right now. To quote ZagsBlog: “Concerns remain about his handle, ability to shoot from outside, ability to go left and to keep the ball moving among teammates, as well as his character.” Other than all that, though, he’s fine. Stephenson says, “the need to emotionally and financially support my family, especially my young daughter, along with my long-standing and burning passion to play in the NBA, outweighs my desire to return to the University of Cincinnati.” The Knicks pick 38th in this year’s draft, by the way.