CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 SPORTS) -- About a year ago Chance Mallory received his first Division one scholarship offer. What has followed since is everything the St. Anne's-Belfield guard has worked for.

"I mean days like this I dreamed of, I'm living my dream, it's very fun," Mallory said, "This recruiting is a blessing."

Ever since leading STAB to the program's first-ever state championship appearance, the offers have started to flood in with 10 since the season ended. The Rivals four-star guard has received offers from Maryland, Virginia Tech, Illinois, Iowa and the hometown Virginia Cavaliers among others.

"It's unbelievable, when he was an eighth grader at 5'1" playing varsity, it's like he's going to be very, very special," STAB boy's basketball coach Damin Altizer said, "Then last weekend we were in D.C. and coaches and scouts and everything from all over the country are asking about him, it's kind of who we've always known him to be."

Mallory has come a long way since eighth grade both in height, now listed at 5'9", and game.

"I watch the eighth grade film sometimes and look at where I was back then and see where I am now," Mallory said, "It's a lot of fun being where I am right now."

Coaches are not the only ones who have noticed the Charlottesville native's rise either. Former UVA star and NBA guard Ty Jerome has worked out with Altizer for years and has seen Mallory grow up after working at his youth basketball camp the last two years.

"Me and Damin have been so close over the years, but especially seeing Chance over here and just watching him," Jerome said, "I've known him for probably four or five years now. So seeing him have this recent blowup that's really cool."

The rising junior earned co-Prep League Player of the Year honors and averaged 17.5 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals last season for the Saints. But he has turned up another notch this summer scoring 27 points, grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing five assists, while shooting 48 percent from three at the DMV Live Showcase at DeMatha.

"Just show what I can do in front of all these coaches," Mallory said, "I mean there's always going to be doubts about my size, but I just try to push that away and just keep playing how I need to play."

Altizer says the feedback he hears on Mallory focuses on the ways he impacts winning, after running point for STAB's best team in program history, and any concerns coaches have about his height is quickly answered by what they see on the court.

"Those are comparisons that Chance hears, he'll hear [former Liberty and Blue Ridge guard] Darius McGhee and the point guard from Kansas State [Markquis Nowell] last year," Altizer said, "So learning from them, emulating their games and at the same time wanting to be better than them because he's that type of kid."

More offers are likely to come in as Mallory continues to get on coach's radar, but enters his junior season looking to lead a STAB team who lost three players on college basketball rosters next year, including Carter Lang at Vanderbilt and Desmond Roberts at Virginia.

"I think he's been ready since day one with day one being when he was in eighth grade. He's always been the kid that talks the most, he's been a captain for three years even though he's only going to be a junior next year. It's what he was built for."

This past year put Mallory on the map, but the destination is still miles ahead.

"I hear them say how good I am," Mallory said, "But I know I just need to keep working and get better to where I want to be because I know every time I work there's a place higher that I can be at."