When he was five years old, basketball was a hobby for junior Miller Stephens. Now, after years of training, hard work, and dedication, it’s his dream to play college basketball. From NWAYBA (Northwest Austin Youth Basketball Association), to Lamar middle school, and to McCallum, Stephens has gone from a casual basketball player to making highlight plays and scoring points per game on his varsity basketball team.
While Stephens excels at basketball now, he admits he wasn’t always the best player on the court.
“I played for NWAYBA and WAYA as a kid,” he said. “I wasn’t ever good and barely did anything but played on the 7th grade A team at Lamar. I played almost no minutes, I had about 12 points the entire year. In 8th grade, I was on the B team and started but I still didn’t do much at all. Even my freshman year, I started most games but wasn’t producing until sophomore year.”
Stephens said although he was placed on JV his sophomore year, it made him the player he is now.
“I finally started doing well and scoring points,” he said. “Coach Shaw gave me a huge role, allowing me to do what I did. He gave me the confidence to take a bunch of shots and lead the team, and the results showed. My season high was 34 [points]. Before last year, I had never really done anything in basketball, but him allowing me to take over the team helped me so much to get onto varsity.”
Along with Coach Shaw, Stephens credits his private trainer for his success.
“I train with my private trainer Coach Geoff as well,” Stephens said. “We train at Alamo Rec, where he’ll bring certain things every time. Whether it’s a bosu ball for balance or a weighted vest or a big ball for shooting, it changes every time and helps me work with every part of my game.”
Stephens said basketball has become a priority for his future. “I want to play college basketball, make it to the next level,” he said. “Even though it’s unlikely, my main goal is definitely getting an offer from any school and seeing where it takes me.”
Junior teammate Ben Cook has noticed Stephen’s hard work and dedication come to fruition over the years.
“Miller and I have been best friends for 5 years,” Cook said. “He’s one of my best friends and we always hang out on weekends to play basketball. Miller has always been one of the stronger players in our class but his biggest jump was between freshman and sophomore year. He started working with a personal trainer and I think that helped him gain a lot of confidence to lead the team last year.”
Cook mentioned that Stephens has become a leader by leading Cook in middle school.
“He introduced me to basketball and helped me get better all the time when I was just starting in middle school,” Cook said. “We’ve been teammates for a little over 3 years, starting in 8th grade. He’s always been a super strong player and is always lifting up his teammates. After a good play– whether he’s on the court or not– he’s always the first person to come celebrate with you.”
Similar to Cook, Coach Shaw has also noticed Stephens’ hard work and effort from the offseason between his freshman and sophomore year start to show.
“He made significant positive changes during the offseason of his freshman year,” Shaw said, “which continued into the preseason and season as a sophomore. I particularly noticed his dedication and hard work. He was always curious and eager to learn, asking questions about how he could contribute to the team’s success.”
Shaw said despite Stephens’ all around talent, his most prominent qualities are the intangibles and uncoachables.
“Miller possesses several commendable qualities,” Shaw said, “but the primary ones that contributed to their success last year were confidence, passion, and resilience.”
Shaw said he knew Stephens was his leader when he saw how responsible and prepared he always was.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach a kid like Miller,” he said. “He was never disrespectful and always wanted to contribute to the team, whether I brought him off the bench or started him. He remained prepared, and I’m proud of him for that.”
Shaw also noted that Stephens’ best games come when he is at his peak competitiveness.
“What sets him apart is his competitiveness,” Shaw said. “He possesses a unique gene that makes him exceptional, and it was an honor to be a part of his JV experience.”
This year, Stephens hopes to replicate his success from his sophomore year.
“I want to be able to perform at the same level on varsity as I did on JV,” he said. “I know it’s a much different game, but I’m excited for this year and what we can accomplish. We were district champions and won a playoff game last year, so we hope to see similar success in district and in the playoffs.”
Through all the countless hours of practice and training, Stephens says he owes it all to his coaches. “All the coaches do so much for this program to run smoothly,” he said. “I just want to thank Coach Shaw again because he helped me so much and I wouldn’t be here without him and the trust that he put in me.”