Maryland transfer guard Chance Stephens became one of the final additions to Niko Medved’s first transfer portal class, committing to the Gophers on May 9. Having logged just seven appearances over the past two seasons, he remains somewhat of a mystery heading into the 2025–26 campaign.
2024–25 stats: 1.3 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 APG (7 games)
Previous school: Maryland (Big Ten)
Height: 6’3”
Eligibility remaining: 2 years
A native of Riverside, California, Chance Stephens made his mark at Riverside Polytechnic High School, finishing just outside the top 50 prospects in California’s 2022 class per 247Sports. Out of high school, he drew offers from San Diego State, Colorado, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Rice, but ultimately chose to stay close to home and sign with Loyola Marymount.
The 2022–23 season marked his most productive stretch, as he appeared in 28 games and averaged 6.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists.
He posted six double-digit scoring outings against Division I competition, highlighted by a career-best 23-point performance against Wake Forest on November 20, 2022, where he went 7-for-10 from three-point range.
Stephens moved up to the Big Ten the next year, transferring to Maryland. A knee injury sidelined him for the entire 2023–24 season, and he saw limited action in 2024–25, appearing in just seven games for a Terrapins squad that advanced to the Sweet 16. Now with two years of eligibility left, he’ll look to carve out a role under Niko Medved at Minnesota.
Historical Gophers comparison: Abdoulaye Thiam
At first glance, comparing Stephens to Abdoulaye Thiam—who averaged just 3.3 minutes per game in his lone season at Minnesota—might feel like a stretch. But the parallels are there: Stephens stands 6-foot-3, Thiam was 6-foot-4, and both are somewhat undersized two-guards.
Stephens showed legitimate shooting ability at Loyola Marymount in 2022–23, hitting 37.4% from three on 4.7 attempts per game, though his playmaking was limited—he totaled only 13 assists that season.
Thiam, who transferred to High Point after his Minnesota stint in 2021–22, also never averaged more than 1.4 assists per game across his career.
Looking ahead, with Chansey Willis Jr., Isaac Asuma, and Langston Reynolds all likely ahead of him in the backcourt rotation, Stephens may face an uphill climb for playing time in 2025–26. Still, he adds useful depth in case of injury and gives the Gophers a proven shooter who remains a bit of a wild card.
Source: SI.com
Leave a Reply