Vaughn helps teach next young star

Last season, Deonta Vaughn led or co-led the University of Cincinnati basketball team in scoring in 18 out of 32 games, averaging 15 points per game.

Vaughn has showed head coach Mick Cronin that he can lead by example on the court, but this year the senior guard won’t have to shoulder the scoring load and can be more of a vocal leader.

With the addition of shooting guard Lance Stephenson, Vaughn can help mentor the
up-and-coming young star while benefiting from more open looks offensively.

“He looks to me as a leader,” Vaughn said. “He knows I know what I’m doing as a player. He knows that I know what coach Cronin wants.”

But knowing what the coach wants or doesn’t want hasn’t helped Stephenson find a rhythm on the court yet. Stephenson was just 2 of 10 from the field with seven points in the season opener, but freshman point guard Cashmere Wright said it will just take time.

“The team knows that Lance is still a freshman,” Wright said. “It’s not going to be as easy as people think it is for him to adapt to the college game. He’ll tell you it’s going faster than he thought it would.”

Hopefully for UC that time will come sooner rather than later with a daunting Big East schedule awaiting the squad.

Stephenson has been easy to coach and takes advice well when the scoring leader tries to help him out, which may help his transition to the college game come along quickly.

“He takes it well, he listens,” Vaughn said. “He sees that when he tries to do it his way and it doesn’t work and then he’ll listen to somebody. When I tell him what to do he takes it and he sees it working out for him.”

Vaughn has worked hard to earn his respect, which is what makes him such an asset to the team.

“One thing about Deonta is he’s going to try to step up for you,” Cronin said. “Everyone wants to win but no one wants to win more than Deonta Vaughn. Lance is smart enough to know that Deonta’s been around.”

As serious as Vaughn is during the game, he is probably a bigger prankster off the court.

“I joke around with [Lance] and Shad [Rashad Bishop],” Vaughn said. “I’ll tell them, ‘I’ll never screw you on the court because I’m trying to win, but off the court I’ll mess with you.”

UC has a more-than-capable senior at the helm that will be able to guide them through the Big East schedule whether Stephenson has progressed or not.