| | Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- California high school star DeShawn Stevenson says his score on the SAT has been disqualified because it improved so much and he's again considering passing up college to apply for the NBA draft.
Stevenson is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Fresno, Calif., who already signed to play at Kansas. The McDonald's All-American said last Sunday that he'd changed his mind about turning pro after learning that his latest SAT score was good enough to allow him to play for a Division I school next season.
Now, however, he's uncertain once again after saying he'd been
told his SAT score was invalid, according to reports Saturday in the
Lawrence Journal-World, The Topeka Capital-Journal and The Kansas
City Star.
"It went up 700 points," said Stevenson, who last took the
test two years ago as a high school sophomore. "They said it went
up too much."
Stevenson's SAT score, only about 450 the first time, jumped to
about 1,150 when he took the test again, well above the 820
necessary for freshman eligibility.
But the increase was so big it caught the attention of the New
Jersey-based Educational Testing Service, which apparently
red-flagged it.
That means that if Stevenson enrolled at Kansas he would not be able to play for the Jayhawks next season unless he retakes the test and achieves a qualifying score.
Because the deadline to apply for the NBA draft is Sunday,
Stevenson must decided quickly whether to take the test again or
pursue a professional career.
"Right now," he said, "I don't know if I'm going to send the
letter in (to the NBA)."
He said he probably wouldn't make a decision until Sunday.
Stevenson is generally regarded as the nation's top perimeter
player among high school seniors. Last season he led his Washington
Union High School team to a California state championship,
averaging 24.3 points and nine rebounds a game.
Stevenson announced on May 2 that he was planning to ask to be
included in the June 28 draft, saying he expected to be picked in
the mid- to late first round. Most draft projections have him as a
late first-round pick.
Stevenson met Thursday night with Kansas coach Roy Williams, and
said the coach advised him to take the test again.
If Stevenson files for the draft, he immediately forfeits all
collegiate eligibility. Unlike players already in college, high
school seniors are not permitted to retract their signed
declaration.
Should Stevenson not file for the draft and then fail to get a
qualifying score if he takes the test again, he could attend Kansas
as a partial qualifier. He could get a scholarship and practice
with the team, but could not play in any games.
Should Stevenson attend Kansas and become eligible to play next
season, he's considered a likely starter as a small forward or
shooting guard.
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