A Man With No Country

 By: Kufere L

Much has been made of the NBA's "one and done" rule and its affect on college basketball. There have been scandals, players going overseas to play, and most recently highly rated high school players not being recruited. Lance Stephenson, a highly rated guard from Brooklyn, New York was once the most sought after recruit in the country. Now, there are some who question whether or not he has a scholarship offer, due to questions about his character and whether he has compromised his amateur status by accepting money from a TV show which highlighted him entitled Born Ready. Making the situation more complex is that Stephenson has been charged with sexual assault and although the odds of Stephenson going to jail are slim, it doesn't look good to recruit a player with such a checkered past. 

In the past, college coaches have recruited any player, no matter the baggage that comes with the player because great players give you a great chance to win. However, with the recent accusations involving OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose, college coaches seem to be taking a more conservative approach towards recruiting. Still, I find it hard to believe that there isn't a single coach in America who doesn't want a McDonald's All-American. There has to be something else to this story, that hasn't reached the public.