Lance Stephenson isn’t making the trip to Kansas for “Late Night in the Phog” tonight, but it looks like he’ll be very busy in the Big Apple this weekend.
The 6-foot-5 Stephenson will begin by playing Saturday afternoon at 4:30 in the semifinals of the is8 against New Heights in Queens. Durand Scott and the Gauchos meet the Playaz Seniors in the first semifinal at 3.
If Stephenson and Juice win, they would play in Sunday’s is8 championship game at 11 a.m.
On top of that, Lance is one of the headliners — along with Tobias Harris, St. John’s commit Omari Lawrence and Maryland commit James Padgett — on Saturday night (7:30) for the 2nd Annual Jim Couch Games at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. The New York-Metro game will be preceded by freshmen and a girls games. (See below for the rosters.)
In other Lance news, Lincoln will take on Xavier Henry and Putnam City (Ok.) on Dec. 11 on one of the ESPN channels.
“It’ll be exciting,” Henry told The Oklahoman. “Especially since it’s on TV.”
The uncommitted Henry is down to Memphis and Kansas. Stephenson is considering Kansas, Memphis, St. John’s, USC and UCLA.
“I’m not really worried about going head-to-head with him,” Henry said of Stephenson. “I just want to win the game.”
JIM COUCH ROSTERS Metro Team: Tobias Harris - Lutheran Tyler Harris - Lutheran Josh Malone - Deer Park James Padgett - Lincoln Paul Bilbo - St. Dominic Marquis Dumas - Bayshore Justin Toussaint - Cardozo Omari Lawrence - South Kent Lance Stephenson - Lincoln Mike Buffalo - Wings Academy Chad Williams - Bishop Ford Anton Dickerson - Boys & Girls Mike Taylor - Boys & Girls New York Team: New York All-Stars: Kamari Murphy - Bishop Ford Sherrod Wright - Mount Vernon Jason Morris - Hotchkiss School Durand Scott - Rice Mike Poole - St. Benedict’s Prep Jordan Lesane - Mount Vernon Shea Smith - John F. Kennedy Dashaun Wiggins-Wings Academy Trevor Dillard - Thurgood Marshall Antoine Hackman - Thurgood Marshall Nkereuwem Okoro - St. Raymond’s Naquan Pierce - John F. Kennedy
