2023 NBA Draft: 5 Prospects that can be surprising steals

Jake Stephens, Big, Chattanooga

Jake Stephens is a very unknown prospect from a small school who likely won’t get drafted, but his skill set is undeniable, especially on offense.

Stephens started his collegiate career at Virginia Military Institute, where he played for four seasons. After the 2021 season, he transferred to Chattanooga for his fifth year of college basketball. He was dominant for the Mocs this season, averaging roughly 22 points, ten rebounds, three assists, and two blocks per game on 66.9% true shooting.

He was ridiculous as a scorer, as he shot 64% from two and 40.8% from three during his final season at Chattanooga. He was also a tremendous passer, sporting an assist rate of 25.2% and averaging 3.4 assists vs. just 2.8 turnovers. These are insane passing numbers for a big man.

Not only that, but he also has unreal physical tools, as he is seven feet tall, weighs 275 pounds, and has a 7-foot-10 wingspan. These are insane measurements, and it’s extremely rare to see a seven-footer with as much offensive talent as Stephens.

His issues are glaring, though. Although he has consistently been extremely productive as a defensive rebounder and shot blocker, his defensive impact has been quite poor for a big-man prospect, especially considering he hasn’t played much, high-level competition throughout his collegiate career.

Even when he did play high-level competition, he struggled mightily, and his production vs. top 100 teams was dreadful for his entire collegiate career. This signals that he may not be able to succeed vs. NBA-level competition.

Jake Stephens has an advanced offensive skillset for a player his size, and he is so good on this end of the floor that he could cause a lot of problems as a low post scorer, three-point shooter, and passer. While his production is made less impressive considering his low strength of schedule and poor production vs. high-level competition, he is still worth taking in the second round.