Rising Senior Spotlight - Sam Stevens
Mansfield High School senior Sam Stevens was both one of the most improved players in the MIAA and one of the most impactful.
He put up big numbers, came away with a collection of post-season accolades in the process, and led Mansfield to the D1 South Sectional championship.
Now, he's headed to Williston Northampton for a post-graduate year just as his steady diet of high D3 recruitment is starting to stretch to higher levels.
A high academic prospect, Stevens' goal is to play his way into the Ivy or Patriot Leagues and if his game and body continue to evolve at the same rate that they have in recent years, he will have a chance to do that.
By the Numbers
2019-20 Stats: 17.7 points & 6 rebounds per game
Academics: 4.19 GPA & 1450 SAT
Top Performances
- 35pts (12-13 FG & 7-8 3pt) vs. Taunton
- 20pts (8-11 FG & 4-6 3pt) vs. Needham (South Semi-Final)
- 29pts (8-12 FG & 5-8 3pt) & 6rebs vs. Brockton
- 30pts & 6rebs vs. King Philip
- 28pts & 9rebs vs. BC High
- 26pts (9-13 FG & 6-8 3pt) vs. Attleboro
- 23pts, 8rebs, & 4stls vs. North Attleboro
- 24pts & 6rebs vs. Whitman-Hanson
Awards & Accolades
- 2x Hockomock League All-Star
- Boston Globe All-Scholastic
- Boston Herald All-Scholastic
- MBCA All-Academic Team
- MBCA All-Sectional Team
- Sun Chronicle All-Star
Personal Statement
I have worked and continue to work tirelessly on improving my game every day. I work on my shot and I have been working extra hard on footwork and handling the ball to diversify my game. In the past two years I have improved my game drastically. This season I averaged 17.7 points and 6 rebounds, an improvement from 11 points and 5 rebounds the year before. After my junior year I focused on becoming more than just a shooter. I have developed the ability to shoot over defenders and with a hand in my face. Although I am a very good shooter, I have also learned how to create for myself and teammates off the dribble and get into my shot off dribble pull-ups, as well as getting straight to the basket. I am a high-IQ player and I have a great baseline from my years in Mansfield that are going to make it relatively easy to transition into any system. I have always been one of the youngest kids in my grade and my post-grad year at Williston will give me a great opportunity to continue my physical development, to compete at a higher level, and continue to develop my skill set in preparation for a successful college career. At Mansfield we play in Division 1 South of the MIAA and had great success in the past 2 years that I have been starting, losing in the South Section final my junior year and winning the South Section final this past year. Being able to play in the NEPSAC will give me an even better chance to play against more great competition so I can continue to prove myself. I am very confident that my best basketball is in front of me and I feel that I will be able to make a significant impact wherever I end up.
Recommendations
"Sam Stevens is a player with an ENORMOUSLY high ceiling! The transformation of going from a knock down shooter to being able to affect a defense off the bounce and with his ability to attack the rim has been nothing short of amazing over this last year. Not to mention he's only just starting to figure out how to play into his body. At only 17 years of age Sam's Kawhi sized hands are double that of a normal 6'5" athlete which gives you the impression that he's not even close to being done growing. Sam is a scholarship level player in my opinion no doubt about it."
- Brendan Carter, Director, Rise Above Basketball
"Sam is a blossoming player who’s best games are ahead of him. He’s always been a high percentage 3pt shooter, but his arsenal has grown daily. He is an exceptional cutter and mover without the ball, changing defenses and creating rotations. His length is disruptive defensively and he has become an effective rebounder. Sam will be successful at the next level, wherever HE chooses to play. He’s separated himself as a top tier academic performer, and I believe he will have his choice of top universities when it’s all said and done."
- Rico DePaolis, 17u Head Coach, Rise Above Basketball
"I have had the pleasure of seeing Sam's growth over the past 4 years. As a freshman Sam was a marginal player who had little impact on the game, by his senior year, through hard work and commitment, he made himself into a dynamic player. He's a knockdown shooter with really high basketball IQ. He is just starting to scratch the surface of the rest of his game which I am confident by his work ethic and commitment he will finish the journey as a high level player at the next level. Being voted to back to back league all-star teams, leading scorer on our team his senior year and one of the top players in Eastern Mass in just 4 years, Sam will prove to be an asset at the next level."
- Mike Vaughan, Head Coach, Mansfield High School
"The sky is the limit for Sam Stevens. He is just scratching the surface of the player he will ultimately be. He is an elite catch/shoot guy and is continuing to build out the rest of his game. Sam's style of play translates very well to scholarship level basketball. Communicates at a high level. A post-graduate year will allow him to develop physically and athletically. Bright future ahead for this kid."
- Ben Farmer, Head Coach, Williston Northampton School
Scout's Take
"There are certain physical traits that have proven to be, from a probability standpoint, better indicators of future success than others. Stevens has four of those. He’s a late-bloomer, meaning he’s had rapid physical growth at a time when most have slowed down or stopped growing. He’s young for his grade, he has huge hands, and he can really shoot the ball. That combination makes him unique and consequently a prospect that needs to be monitored very closely. He already made a significant jump within the last year, but might just be in the early stages of his ascension. The fact that he’s a hard-worker with a good IQ for the game and reportedly high character only makes him that much more intriguing."
- Adam Finkelstein, NERR & ESPN
Video Highlights
Sam Stevens