Kendall Stephens
{{short description|American-Australian basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Kendall Stephens
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| position = Guard
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 7
| weight_lb = 205
| league = LNBP
| team = Santos del Potosí
| number = 21
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|11|11}}
| birth_place = Whittington, Victoria
| nationality = American / Australian
| highschool = St. Charles East
(St. Charles, Illinois)
| college =
| draft_year = 2018
| career_start = 2018
| career_end =
| years1 = 2018–2019
| team1 = Obradoiro
| team2 = South East Melbourne Phoenix
| years3 = 2022–2023
| team3 = Rapla KK
| years4 = 2024
| team4 = União Corinthians
| years5 = 2024–present
| team5 = Santos del Potosí
| highlights =
}}
Kendall Everette Stephens (born November 11, 1994) is an American-Australian professional basketball player for União Corinthians of the Novo Basquete Brasil. He played college basketball at Purdue and Nevada.
Early life and high school
Stephens was born in Geelong, Victoria, in the suburb of Whittington, while his father Everette Stephens was playing professional basketball for the Geelong Supercats of the Australian NBL.{{cite web|url=http://www.nbl.com.au/news/article/the-other-aussie-at-nba-summer-league|title=The Other 'Aussie' at NBA Summer League|website=NBL.com.au|publisher=National Basketball League|date=June 10, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2019}} Stephens' family settled in St. Charles, Illinois after Everette's retirement and he attended St. Charles East High School. He was a standout basketball player for the Fighting Saints and was the number 65-ranked recruit in his class by ESPN and a four-star recruit by most major recruiting outlets. He ultimately committed to play for his father's alma mater, Purdue University, during his sophomore year.{{cite web|url=https://www.hammerandrails.com/2012/4/5/2927987/purdue-basketball-recruiting-kendall-stephens|title=Purdue Basketball Recruiting: Kendall Stephens|first=Travis|last=Miller|work=HammerAndRails.com|publisher=SB Nation|date=April 5, 2012|access-date=January 7, 2019}} During his junior year, Stephens averaged 17.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and was averaging 19.2 points per game during his senior season before it was cut short due to injury after 11 games.{{cite web|url=http://www.ktvn.com/story/32016879/purdue-transfer-kendall-stephens-signs-with-nevada-wolf-pack|title=Purdue Transfer Kendall Stephens Signs With Nevada Wolf Pack|website=ktvn.com|date=May 19, 2016|access-date=January 7, 2019}}
College career
=Purdue=
Stephens began his career at Purdue University, playing there for three seasons. In his freshman season, Stephens averaged 8.0 points per game (second in the conference among freshman) and was named to the 2014 Big Ten All-Freshman team.{{cite web|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/purdue/2014/03/11/purdues-aj-hammons-kendall-stephens-earn-big-ten-honors/6289033/|title=Purdue's Hammons, Stephens earn Big Ten honors|first=Nathan|last=Baird|work=IndyStar.com|publisher=Journal & Courier|date=March 11, 2014|access-date=January 7, 2019}} As a sophomore, he averaged 8.7 points per game while playing through several injuries.{{cite web|url=https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/college/purdue/2016/03/31/purdues-kendall-stephens-explore-transfer/82480040/|title=Purdue's Kendall Stephens exploring transfer|first=Nathan|last=Baird|work=Journal & Courier|publisher=USA Today|date=March 31, 2016|access-date=January 7, 2019}} After his junior season, Stephens opted to transfer to Nevada after a significant drop in playing time due to injuries.{{cite web|url=https://www.hammerandrails.com/basketball/2016/5/18/11702010/kendall-stephens-to-transfer-to-nevada|title=Kendall Stephens to Transfer to Nevada|first=Juan|last=Crespo|work=HammerAndRails.com|publisher=SB Nation|date=May 18, 2016|access-date=January 7, 2019}} Stephens played 90 games for Purdue, starting 32, and scored 698 total points for an average of 7.8 points per game.
=Nevada=
After sitting out the 2016–17 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Stephens played his final collegiate season with the Wolf Pack. Stephens made 126 three-pointers, fifth-most in the nation and a Nevada and Mountain West Conference single-season record. He finished the season averaging 13.1 points per game, fourth-best on the team, and shot 43.2 percent from three-point range as Nevada made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.kcchronicle.com/2018/08/20/basketball-ex-st-charles-east-forward-stephens-signs-contract-with-spanish-pro-team/a60zvw8/|title=Basketball: Ex-St. Charles East forward Stephens signs contract with Spanish pro team|first=Jacob|last=Bartelson|work=Kane County Chronicle|publisher=Shaw Media|date=August 20, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2018}} Stephens was named third team All-Mountain West by both coaches and the media at the end of the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.kolotv.com/content/sports/Nevadas-Kendall-Stephens-signs-with-Magic-summer-league-team-486329021.html|title=Nevada's Kendall Stephens signs with Magic summer league team|website=KOLOTV.com|date=June 22, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2019}} Over the course of his collegiate career, Stephens played in 127 games and averaged 9.3 points per game and shot 38.8 percent from three.{{cite web|url=https://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2018/03/29/nevadas-kendall-stephens-have-surgery-injured-shooting-thumb/470674002/|title=Nevada's Kendall Stephens to have surgery on injured shooting thumb|first=Chris|last=Murray|work=Reno Gazette-Journal|publisher=USA Today|date=March 29, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2019}}
Professional career
After going unselected in the 2018 NBA draft, Stephens played on the Orlando Magic's NBA Summer League team and averaged 3.5 points and 1.5 rebounds over four games.{{cite web|url=https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/college/purdue/basketball/2018/07/03/tracking-purdue-basketball-alumni-nba-summer-league/755954002/|title=Purdue basketball alum Caleb Swanigan leads Portland back to NBA Summer League finals|first=Nathan|last=Baird|work=Journal & Courier|publisher=USA Today|date=July 17, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2019}}
=Obradoiro=
Stephens signed with Monbus Obradoiro of the Spanish Liga ACB on August 19, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://mynews4.com/sports/content/former-nevada-sharpshooter-kendall-stephens-signs-with-monbus-obradoiro|title=Former Nevada sharpshooter Kendall Stephens signs with Monbus Obradoiro|first=Julian|last=Del Gaudio|website=MyNews4.com|publisher=KRNV-DT|date=August 19, 2018|access-date=January 7, 2019}} On January 19, 2019, Stephens and Obradoiro agreed to part ways after he averaged just 2.8 points in five Liga ACB games.{{cite web|url=https://www.marca.com/baloncesto/acb/2019/01/19/5c438072ca474129088b4583.html|title=Monbus Obradoiro resigns Kendall Stephens contract|first=Manuel|last=Garcia Solano|work=Marca|date=January 19, 2019|access-date=January 21, 2019|language=Spanish}}
=South East Melbourne Phoenix=
Stephens signed with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) on May 1, 2019, as a non-import player.{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/south-east-melbourne-phoenix-sign-son-of-a-gun-kendall-stephens-20190430-p51in6.html|title=South East Melbourne Phoenix sign 'son of a gun' Kendall Stephens|first=Roy|last=Ward|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=May 1, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nbl.com.au/news/article/son-of-former-nbl-import-signs-with-south-east-melbourne|title=Son of former NBL Import signs with South East Melbourne|work=NBL.com.au|date=May 1, 2019|accessdate=May 1, 2019}} Stephens averaged 4.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 26 NBL games.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/kendall-stephens-1.html|title=Kendall Stephens International Stats|website=Basketball-Reference.com|access-date=March 12, 2020}} He re-signed with the team on June 18, 2020.{{cite web |title=Kendall Stephens re-signs with South East Melbourne Phoenix |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/kendall-stephens-re-signs-with-south-east-melbourne-phoenix/ |website=Sportando surgery |accessdate=June 18, 2020 |date=June 18, 2020}}
He had surgery after each of his two seasons with the Phoenix.
Personal life
Stephens' father, Everette Stephens, played point guard for Purdue from 1984 to 1988 and scored over 1,000 points for the Boilermakers. Everette was a second-round pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1988 NBA draft and played professionally both in the U.S. and overseas for 11 years, including stints with the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks.{{cite web|url=https://basketball.dailyherald.com/article/20130115/sports/701159738/|title=Watching son's progress a special thrill for Stephens|first=Craig|last=Brueske|work=Daily Herald|date=January 15, 2013|access-date=January 7, 2019}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://purduesports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=574 Purdue Boilermakers bio]
- [https://nevadawolfpack.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2283 Nevada Wolf Pack bio]
- [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kendall-stephens-1.html College Stats at Sports-Reference]
- [https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kendall-Stephens/Summary/56677#International RealGM Profile]
- [https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Kendall-Stephens/Rio-Natura-Monbus-Obradoiro-CAB/300363 EuroBasket Profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Kendall}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Spain
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Australian expatriate basketball people in Spain
Category:Australian men's basketball players
Category:Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball players
Category:Obradoiro CAB players
Category:Sportspeople from St. Charles, Illinois
Category:Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball players
Category:South East Melbourne Phoenix players
Category:Basketball players from DuPage County, Illinois
Category:Sportspeople from Kane County, Illinois
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Estonia
Category:Korvpalli Meistriliiga players