From NYDailyNews.com:
The recruiting war for Lincoln High's junior phenom Lance Stephenson has just started and it's already heating up. Stephenson's father just texted our guy Eb Samuel with word that USC coach Tim Floyd -- who pulled off a major coup by signing O.J. Mayo last year -- dropped by to watch Lance work out. Stephenson's biggest problem will be narrowing his list of suitors down as time goes by.
Lance is one of the top players in the class of 2009, but might be better known (at least for now) for being the middle-schooler that went head-to-head with O.J. Mayo @ the '05 ABCD Camp (YouTube Video). Here's a quote from Seth Davis on the infamous battle:
Stephenson was a trash-talking, finger-pointing, tongue-wagging blur who got in Mayo's face as soon as they took the court to start the second quarter. When Stephenson made a quick move along the baseline, the Brooklynites erupted. Then Mayo got mad. He started taking it right at the youngster and repeatedly scored at will.
During one unforgettable sequence, Mayo buried a 3-pointer in Stephenson's face, then gesticulated wildly toward Stephenson's posse in the stands. After Mayo's team got the rebound on the ensuing possession, Mayo dribbled the ball down the left wing and prepared to take it to Stephenson again. Stephenson, however, was caught in a defensive switch. So Mayo literally ordered Stephenson to guard him, waited for the youngster to take his defensive stance and then buried another long 3-pointer
Two things can be taken from that story: (1) Mayo has the killer instinct and (2) Stephenson is going to be a great player at the next level. I think at this point it's a long shot for SC to be in the mix with LS, but if TF uses O.J. properly and he becomes a lottery pick, which he likely will, lot of top of prospects heads will turn, including Stephenson's...
