Shooting guard Chance Stephens entered the transfer portal wanting to play in the Big Ten and on the East Coast, and Maryland entered the offseason needing a shooter.
It made for the ideal match.
Stephens committed to Maryland on April 8 after one season at Loyola Marymount. He accounts for Maryland’s last available scholarship spot for the time being. Stephens mentioned that he did not commit to Maryland for financial opportunities that may arise. It was about the fit.
Stephens is from Riverside, Calif., where he played high school basketball at Riverside Polytechnic High School, but his father Benjamin is from Washington, D.C.
“I just always been trying to get out [to the East Coast], and when I went to the transfer portal, Maryland called. Obviously, I was excited for that,” Stephens said on Glenn Clark Radio April 14. “They gave me an opportunity to have my visit down there. I went on a visit. I loved everything, actually. It’s like a dream come true to me.”
Although Maryland did well last season, 3-point shooting was something they struggled with at times. Don Carey, one of the Terps’ top 3-point shooters this past season at 34.3 percent, is moving on as well.
Stephens brings shooting to the table. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard shot 37.4 percent from 3-point range as a freshman for Marymount last season. Stephens averaged 17.1 minutes and 6.0 points in 28 games last year.
Stephens’ best game came against Wake Forest. He scored a career-high 23 points, including the game-winning shot with 16 seconds left, and finished 7-for-10 from behind the arc.
Maryland assistant coach David Cox previously recruited Stephens when he was the head coach at Rhode Island. Stephens mentioned that he and Cox have been talking for a long time, and it was nice to transfer to a program with a familiar face. Cox originally offered Stephens a scholarship in eighth grade.
“To have that type of relationship and comfort level with a coach I think is very important, especially in trying to get to the next level because a coaching staff has a lot to do with how a player will improve and grow in the process during their college career,” Stephens said.
Stephens goes by the nickname “Sniper.” He mentioned how it started as a joke but quickly caught on once he changed his name on Instagram to chance_the_sniper.
Stephens said he and his dad worked out at the gym and got up jump shots every day ever since he was a kid. He said they would practice shooting from “just about everywhere on the floor.”
Shooting became a consistent part of Stephens’ life and eventually became second nature. He started making almost every shot, if not every shot, during practice.
The 2023-24 college basketball season is set to begin in early November. Maryland finished the 2022-23 season with a 22-13 overall record and 11-9 in Big Ten play. Stephens is eager to start playing with his new team and believes the Terps can win a national championship.
“It was always my dream to play at a bigger school. That was definitely a huge factor for me going [to Maryland] as well. They’re in the Big Ten. That’s one of the best conferences out of all the conferences, so you can’t get better than that,” Stephens said. “I think it’s going to be really special, especially when we get all the guys together and we start working.”
For more from Stephens, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chance Stephens