2022-23 Season Stats: 32.2 minutes per game/ 21.8 points per game/ 10.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.4 blocks per game/ Shooting 55 percent from the floor and 41 percent from three on 5.2 attempts
2021-22 (VMI): 33.2 minutes per game/ 19.6 points per game/ 9.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 blocks per game/ Shot 55 percent from the floor and 49 percent from three on 5.0 attempts
Phenom Hoops is bringing you players around the country in college basketball and one player that many might have not heard about but should start learning and watching is Chattanooga senior big man Jake Stephens. Though he is missing time right now, you can’t deny what he has done so far this season.
The VMI transfer has put up some incredible numbers and he isn’t just another 7-footer being a force down low, as he is showing much more than that. We are talking about a 7-footer that is displaying an intriguing game with his strong frame and ability to operate in the paint, but also being a difference-maker from outside as well.
When you talk about his game, Stephens is a 275-pound graduate transfer who has shown his ability to be effective and strong down in the post, operating well and displaying a nice feel in finishing around or over defenders. Even though he isn’t the fastest big man, he shows nice footwork and is physical around the basket and on the boards.
But what intrigues you so much is that the 7-footer is shooting nearly 41 percent from behind the arc and is averaging 5.2 attempts per game. He averages 2.1 made threes per game, and though he is shooting 41 percent this year, he shot 49 percent from three on 5.0 attempts last year at VMI. In 13 games this season, he has hit two or more threes in a game and has three games in which he hit four or more threes.
Stephens is an effective center in the post with a nice feel, touch, and footwork, is able to stretch the floor consistently from behind the arc, can be a physical force on the boards, shows nice vision as well, and can be a rim protector. Time to start talking about him more in the college basketball world.
