Coach Matt Painter has secured a second verbal commitment for the class of 2013 to join Bryson Scott. Kendall Stephens, a 6'4"/160 lbs. shooting guard from St. Charles East, is the son of Purdue great Everette Stephens. He's decided to follow in his dad's footsteps and proudly wear the Black and Old Gold.
Stephens selected Purdue over offers from DePaul, Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern, and interest from many other schools (including Duke).
A Google search may not leave you impressed; however, his stock has exploded in the past 6 months. His spectacular performance this season has elevated Stephens from the 12th prospect in the state to potentially #3. With Jabari Parker, Thomas Hamilton, and Alex Foster in the same class, there's no shame in being the 3rd or 4th prospect out of that class.
Stephens is a pure shooter with good size and a stroke far beyond his years. If he arm length is any indication, he may still have room to grow a few more inches. At 160 pounds, he obviously has so work to do in the weight room, but he also has plenty of time to grow into his frame. At his current state, I see him as a Stephen Curry type player, but that could change has his body develops.
As of early January, he averaged 18 points on just 12 attempts.
For your viewing pleasure:
One of the most exciting aspects of Stephen's commitment is the possible impact it could have on the rest of the class of 2013. Now that scholarships are beginning to fill, there is hope that it could cause a proverbial domino effect on other prospects. There will be 2 slots remaining (or 1 if we sign another 2012 prospect) and this could expedite their decision making process. V.J. Beachem, Alex Foster, Basil Smotherman, and Zak Irvin have all expressed interest in Purdue but have indicated they are close to a decision. This might change things...
In my opinion, Matt Painter can't go wrong with any of above options.
And for those of you wondering, Stephens will likely fall into the top 40-80 4 star category. Not that it matters or anything...