SoCon Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Aug 25, 2023

Mar 23, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Wofford Terriers guard Fletcher Magee (3) leads his team in a huddle before their game against the Kentucky Wildcatsin the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

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Middle Tennessee guard Camryn Weston (24) has his shot blocked by Chattanooga center Jake Stephens SoCon Basketball Nas Mtsu Chatt Murphy 50 007 /

11. Jake Stephens

Stephens is a 6’10 center from Bunker Hill, West Virginia who spent his entire five-year career playing in the SoCon. He was recruited to VMI in 2018 by head coach Dan Earl and would play for him for the next five years. When Earl left VMI for conference rival Chattanooga, Stephens followed him, spending his final year of eligibility with the Mocs.

Early on, the numbers were decent for Stephens, who was earning a decent amount of starts as an underclassman for the Keydets. He was up to nearly 15 points a game as a junior before really breaking out in his last year at VMI, averaging 19.6 points and 9.0 rebounds. Those last two years were VMI’s two best seasons since joining the SoCon, and Stephens had a 21-point, 20-rebound game against The Citadel. This past year, he became the focal point at Chattanooga, averaging 22.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Emerging as a top-level scorer and rebounder, Stephens was named First Team All-SoCon in his last two seasons, receiving the honor at both VMI and Chattanooga. He was one of the best rebounders in the conference throughout his career and led the conference in field goal percentage in that final year with the Keydets. He played his role at the back end well in Earl’s system and was a valiant tool for these two SoCon programs for the last half-decade.