NCAA Tournament 2018: 5 best shooters in the Sweet 16

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1. Kendall Stephens | Nevada (#21)

The most dangerous shooter left in the Sweet 16 might just be Nevada’s Kendall Stephens. After spending his first three collegiate years at Purdue (hello again), Stephens transferred to Nevada and sat out the 2016-17 season.

At Purdue, Stephens made and took 3s at astronomical rates. He had 3s made per 100 possession rates of 5.7, 5.9, and 6.6 in his three seasons, respectively. He attempted 15.5, 15.4, and 20.8 threes per 100 possessions those years. That’s almost Savoy territory.

While Stephens was taking and making a lot of 3s before transferring to Nevada, once in Reno he combined the quick trigger with phenomenal accuracy.

After shooting as high as 38.4 percent from deep his sophomore year, and dipping down to 31.7 percent as a junior, it all came together for the 6-foot-7 wing as a senior. Stephens has made 44.4 percent of his 284 3-point attempts this season.

The result is a Mountain West record 126 made 3s on the year, surpassing Jimmer Fredette’s 124 in 2010-11. Only two other players from 351 D1 teams have hit more than that this season.

Stephens doesn’t really pass much (1.2 assists per 100 possessions) or rebound the ball (4.2 total rebound percentage). He is an above-average shot blocker for a wing (2.6 block percentage), but really he’s on the floor to stretch a defense and let it fly. 83 percent of his shots this year have been 3-pointers.

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When he does get to the line, Stephens has been nearly flawless, making 47 out of 51 on the year (92.2 percent). That would be third nationally if he had enough attempts to qualify.

Stephens has hit at least five 3s in a game this season 13 times, including Nevada’s first round overtime thriller against Texas. The Wolf Pack play Loyola Chicago on Thursday, another team full of great shooters.

However, if there’s one player more likely than any other to put on a three-point shooting clinic for the nation to admire, it’s Kendall Stephens.