Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati’s star recruit, settled a sexual assault case by pleading guilty in exchange for three days of community service, avoiding any jail time. Although it was not a likely scenario, Stephenson could have faced as much as six months in prison if convicted of the charges and given the maximum sentence.
Stephenson is New York’s all-time scoring leader for high school players. He had an extended recruiting process because of his off-court troubles and questions about his amateur status. He recently decided to play for Cincinnati.
The New York Daily News’ Mark Lelinwalla reported that Stephenson might be clear of legal problems, but he has not resolved his potential eligibility problems.
Although the NCAA may decide to investigate Stephenson’s “Born Ready” Internet reality series for possible compliance violations, his overall situation has certainly improved over the past two weeks.
Stephenson’s college choice of Cincinnati will give him the opportunity to play in major-market cities throughout the Big East and potentially star for the Bearcats during his freshman campaign.
