Photo Couresty of Ricky Podgorski
Maryland men’s basketball ranks second-worst in the Big Ten offensive rankings and needs an offensive surge.
That surge might just be injured on the bench in Chance Stephens.
“Maryland fans should be expecting, you know, a lot of three’s,” Stephens said. “They’ll be expecting a lot of three’s.”
Stephens, a transfer from Loyola Marymount, is sidelined due to a knee injury. The guard has continued to progress in his injury rehab and is optimistic about his recovery.
“I think so far it’s been great. You know, other than my injury,” Stephens said. “But even with that, my injury, recovery has been really good.”
Although Stephens has yet to suit up, his shooting is no mystery to the public eye.
In his freshman year at LMU, Stephens made 52 shots — 49 of those coming from three-point range.
According to Stephens, he learned how to shoot from his father, shooting upwards of 500 jump shots a day. His dad dubbed him a nickname: Sniper.
“He’s like, you know what? You should just change your Instagram name to Chance the Sniper, and we was laughing about it and I just did it,” Stephens said. “And ever since, that’s what people just called me. Sniper.”
With a new scene in College Park, the transfer’s debut was delayed but found a new outlet to display his skill set.
Stephens has taken to social media in his rehabilitation, posting videos on X and Instagram, showcasing his high percentage shooting. Stephens posted a video making 73 of 81 shots from behind the arc on October 6. Three days later, the Sniper made 65 threes in a row.
“I had to work at that every day, shooting 500, 600, 700 jump shots a day. Just keep doing the same thing,” Stephens said. “So I just want to also not just show people me, but inspire people that they do something every day that, you know, they can master it.”
Stephens posted an update to X on January 15 noting the significant improvement in his recovery, and a potential return to the court shortly. But while he still is recovering, his videos across social media have garnered thousands of views, generating anticipation for the guard to take the court at the Xfinity Center.
“I can’t wait to get back on the court and show the Maryland fans what I got and win some games for y’all,” Stephens said.
