Cincinnati Recruit Lance Stephenson Avoids Jail Sentence

Lance Stephenson, a highly touted 2009 recruit for the University of Cincinnati, will not serve jail time in his sexual assault case.

Stephenson, pleaded guilty to a charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct on Friday and will perform three days of community service, according to sources.

Stephenson and high school teammate, Darwin Ellis, were charged after being accused of fondling a 17-year-old girl near Lincoln high school in October of last year.

However, the NCAA is still expected to look into Stephenson's amateur status involving his tour of the Under Armour factory while visiting the University of Maryland earlier this year.

Supposedly, the University of Cincinnati isn't worried about Stephenson's status or the assault case at the present moment.

Is Lance Stephenson Worth It?

The story of Lance Stephenson has been everywhere in the national recruiting scene since he is the last of the Rivals top 100 yet to sign with a school. Stephenson, who has dominated in NYC, has unfortunately had a lot of bad issues surrounding him and his recruitment. From a sexual assault charge, dominating and demanding father, academic eligibility issues, and issues surrounding an Internet reality show, most Division I programs and coaches have steered away from Stephenson. But now we have Cincinnati and Mick Cronin emerging as a potential suitor for the services of "Born Ready."

Is this a desperation move for Cronin? Obviously he wouldn't sign Stephenson until the assault allegations and issues regarding his eligibility are resolved with the NCAA, but I ask is it worth it? Sure Stephenson is a star on the court and will undoubtedly end up in the NBA. But with all of the negativity and the assertion from coaches and teammates that he is a selfish player would Cronin want to put his program at risk? He has spent time since taking over UC to get the Graduation rate up for his student athletes and build a successful college program. But do you sacrifice winning to doing the right thing? Kentucky fans grew tired of Tubby Smith and his quest to recruit the four year student athlete and have now anointed John Calipari and the King of suspect one and done players.

Obviously Mick needs to win and win now. And by winning he should be able to boost attendance which has hit all time lows for the men's team. The University has shown their patients with Cronin and even extended his contract despite a mediocre record. So why is Cronin willing to sell his soul for a one and done superstar with a lot of baggage? I don't know but I am afraid for the program. In the current system that does not allow players to enter the NBA out of high school Stephenson could come to Cincinnati, help them be competitive and leave after his Freshman season for the NBA. But the after effects of recruiting and signing a kid like Stephenson could potentially harm the Cincinnati Basketball program in the future. I am not saying that Lance is guilty of any of the allegations and I am not saying that NCAA sanctions are inevitable. I am saying there is a lot of smoke and typically where there is smoke there is fire. If I were Mick I would join the rest of the coaches and stay away from Lance Stephenson.

Lance Stephenson to Cincinnati?

Lance "Born Ready" Stephenson becoming a member of the University of Cincinnati basketball team has been a rumor that swirled around recruiting circles several months ago. It seems as if this rumor is picking up more steam now. Lance Stephenson visited the University of Cincinnati campus again over the weekend and recently even attended a game at the Deveroes Summer League. Look for Stephenson to decide on the University of Cincinnati befor the end of next week.

Lance Stephenson hails from Lincoln High School in New York City, the same school as Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair. Stephenson is widely considered one of the top 15 players in the country. He has seen his face grace the cover of many national sports magazines and his high school games have been shown on ESPN. His publicity is not without its downfalls though. Many high profile schools have passed on Stephenson due to his cocky attitude, poor relationships, questionable amateur status, and recent legal troubles.

Stephenson is widely considered a one and done player who is NBA ready right now. Cincinnati has one scholarship remaining for 2009. His addition would be a huge one and include instant offense to the team. In addition, it may help to bring greater attention, money, and fanfare to the university which is something that has been lacking since the departure of Bob Huggins.