Born Ready in Cincinnati Unversity college shruggles

Stephenson being 'Born Ready'

Filed Under: Freshmen, Big East
It’s a good thing Lance Stephenson moved on from his “Born Ready” nickname. It didn’t apply in his debut.

Cincinnati’s 6-5 guard is billed as one of the nation’s impact freshmen (fell for it), but there are no words for opening with a 7-point, 4-rebound performance against Prairie View A&M. The Bearcats won the game (barely), otherwise you’d be reading about UCLA and Cincy stumbling on Monday.

As for Stephenson – 2-10 from the field, 0-3 beyond the arc and 1 turnover in 22 minutes – there’s an explanation.

“He was a nervous wreck,” Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. “He’ll get better. I’ve got to make sure he’s not putting too much pressure on himself. When we were struggling, he was the one guy in the huddle trying to fire everybody up. You could see his frustration. You could see his desire to win.”

Nervousness in your college hoops debut is understandable. Only a chosen few can open with a memorable night.

But it seems odd for Stephenson to have those jitters. He’s one of the most celebrated players from NYC. He’s been on the AAU circuit and played in high-pressure situations before. What’s going to happen when the Bearcats play better teams or get into Big East play?

Perhaps Cincy now has a player who’ll stick around for more than one season.