SoCalHoops Recruiting News

KC Star Reporting DeShawn Opting
To Go Pro. . . Again--(May 13, 2000)

DeShawn Stevenson doing what he does best . . . instilling a little fear (photo courtesy of UltraStudentAthletes Online)

He's going to Kansas

No, he's going pro. . .

No, he's going to Kansas. . .

No, he's going pro. . .

We're not sure how many more times DeShawn Stevenson will change his mind, but he's probably only got another 24 hours to do it, if he wants to still make the jump to the NBA this year. . . And apparently, the Educational Testing Service folks, those wonderful people who brought you the SAT, may have helped DeShawn make his decision. . . . or they just may have made his life a lot more complicated.

The Kansas City Star reported yesterday that Kansas signee DeShawn Stevenson said on Friday that his qualifying score on the Scholastic Assessment Test had been invalidated and that he again is considering a jump to the NBA. 

"It went up 700 points," Stevenson told the paper.   Apparently the Educational Testing Service rejected Stevenson's score and in order for him to gain freshman eligibilty, he'll have to take the test again. "They said it went up too much," said Stevenson.

DeShawn Stevenson (photo courtesy of UltraStudentAthletes Online

Only one problem:  The test won't be given again until sometime after tomorrow's deadline to apply for the NBA draft.  Thus, Stevenson now has just a little more than 24 hours to make a decision that will affect the rest of his life. . . at least the rest of his potential college basketball life.

Under NCAA rules, if a high school player declares for the draft, he loses his eligibility.  The rules which permit a college student to change their mind and return to college by June 21 (which is what many believe UCLA's Jason Kapono will do if he opts to throw his name into the draft) only applies to currently enrolled college students. Stevenson apparently met Thursday night with Kansas coach Roy Williams, who, according to Stevenson, advised him to take the test again.  But at least yesterday, Deshawn was undecided.  He told the Star: "Right now I don't know if I'm going to send the letter in (to the NBA)."  He told the paper that he probably wouldn't make a decision until Sunday.

This is the latest twist in Stevenson's bizarre recruiting saga. Stevenson committed to the Jayhawks last fall when he signed a letter of intent. He then took the SAT but before the score was announced, he told reporters for the Fresno Bee that he would forego college and enter the NBA draft, which prompted a huge family dialogue and some very vocal criticism of Darren Matsubara (DeShawn's club coach) from DeShawn's mother Genice Popps who accused Mats of giving her son bad advice.  Last weekend, he announced that he had changed his mind, would not enter the draft, and further announced that he had received a qualifying test score.  It is that score, which reportedly improved his SAT score from 460 to over 1100, a 700 point improvement, which raised suspicion at the ETS.

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