By Mark Lelinwalla, Roger Rubin, and Ian Begley
Lincoln HS standout Lance Stephenson has been doing the recruiting dance with St. John's for more than a year. Not any more.
According to sources on both sides, the odds are virtually nil that the 6-6 guard from Coney Island will join the Red Storm. And sources say ditto for Maryland, another college heavily recruiting Stephenson.
"At this point (St. John's is) out," a source told the Daily News. "They're not a priority for us. Maryland coach (Gary Williams) embraced Lance, but for some reason that wasn't the right move."
According to a source with knowledge of St. John's recruiting strategy, coach Norm Roberts and his staff have waited patiently but time is growing short. They still want Stephenson but are now fearful that waiting much longer means missing out on others. The Johnnies got a commitment from point guard and Queens product Malik Stith yesterday.
Last week, Kansas coach Bill Self preferred a commitment from Xavier Henry, ESPN's No. 1 ranked player, over Stephenson.
That leaves Arizona, Memphis and possibly Kentucky as possible destinations for Stephenson.
Concerns about Stephenson's future are not limited to basketball.
He has a court case scheduled for May 19 at King County Criminal Court in Brooklyn, stemming from an alleged incident at Lincoln HS, in which a 17-year-old girl claims he groped her on Oct. 3 of last year. Stephenson's lawyer, Alberto Ebanks, has maintained his client's innocence throughout.