10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

Stevenson hoping to make major impact through fiery and productive play

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Erik Stevenson has yet to play a game in a West Virginia uniform.

Yet Stevenson is making an indelible mark on the Mountaineers ahead of his final collegiate season, which happens to be his first at WVU.

“He’s a really tough kid and defensively, he’s pretty good,” head coach Bob Huggins said. “He’s just so competitive. He raises the level of our practices because of his competitiveness.”

Stevenson’s college basketball journey has taken him to four schools in five seasons. A 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard from Lacey, Wash., Stevenson began his collegiate career at Wichita State. He played two seasons for the Shockers, before going back home and spending a year at Washington.

Most recently, Stevenson was at South Carolina, but opted to transfer when the Gamecocks parted ways with former head coach Frank Martin. 

“I was going to stay there for sure. I’d bounced around so much, it’s tiring,” Stevenson said. “It’s a long process, a lot of paperwork, buying new things, moving into new spots and getting used to new teammates and new environments. When Frank left, it was a sad day in Columbia.” 

Martin is a close friend of Huggins’ and his former assistant at Cincinnati and Kansas State who took over the Wildcats after Huggins became West Virginia’s coach. The two have a similar coaching style and some of their most successful teams are known for toughness, rebounding and defensive prowess. 

Stevenson’s experience with Martin, combined with the two seasons he played for former Shockers’ head coach Gregg Marshall, has helped ease his transition to Morgantown.

Erik Stevenson meets with the media. Photo by Greg Carey/WVMetroNews.com

“It’s not anything new hearing the guys yell or having coaches be tough on us. That’s how you win,” Stevenson said. “That’s one of the biggest reasons I came here. I know Huggs is going to have a level of accountability and we’re going to win games.”

One of nine new additions to West Virginia’s roster from last season, Stevenson is also doing his part to ensure accountability.

Although he has no experience as a Mountaineer, Stevenson’s college basketball past has enabled him to assume a leadership role.

Four years of high level college basketball in three different systems and conferences provides benefits.

“When I’m not allowed to express my personality is when I don’t perform well, because I don’t feel like I’m involved,” Stevenson said. “It was like that at Washington. I’m fiery and competitive. I kind of have a trigger to me. It’s probably good and bad. It’s definitely better than it used to be. I’ve toned it down. But when I feel like I’m involved, I can lead and have a voice, the teams I’m on are usually pretty good. We’re going to have a good year. I promise.”

There is one player on West Virginia familiar with Stevenson in fifth-year forward Emmitt Matthews. 

While the two will play together for the first time in college in the upcoming season, Matthews’ hometown of Tacoma is only a half hour from Stevenson’s hometown. Their relationship through basketball goes back to grade school, and though both are from Washington, Matthews believes their personalities are far different.

“He has a fire under him for sure. He’s been like that our whole life,” Matthews said. “Erik is a closed book, but when the book opens, you get all the chapters in one page. You’re like, what are we dealing with here? He’s the fire guy. I’m the ice guy. I try to keep things mellow and calm and he’s ready to run through a wall. 

“You get that type of intensity and match it with what we do have on the team. He pushes everybody to be better in a way that some of the guys on the team might be uncomfortable with or were at first. You get used to it. Everybody has their own leadership style.“

Matthews played three seasons at West Virginia and most recently one at Washington after opting to go closer to home like Stevenson had a year earlier. When both entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in the offseason, they discussed the possibility of playing together at West Virginia, though Stevenson said a recruiting pitch wasn’t necessary.

Instead, he was sold on West Virginia early into his official visit.

“The first time I saw Huggs was in the hotel on the river the next morning because I got in late. I walked downstairs, and he’s in baggy sweats and a baggy top drinking coffee,” Stevenson recalled. “I was like, ‘I’m coming here.’”

Six months later, Stevenson feels settled. For as much as he thrives on competition, Stevenson will need to provide more than a competitive edge.

In his lone season at South Carolina, Stevenson averaged 11.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists and made 61-of-62 free throws. He has one other double-figure average for a season, which came when Stevenson scored 11.1 points during his second year with the Shockers.

For his career, Stevenson averages 9.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and better than one steal.

“One of the biggest things for me in the recruiting process was going somewhere where they’re going to allow me to be me, but also somewhere I can develop my game,” Stevenson said. [Associate head coach Larry Harrison] and the rest of the staff have done a great job with it, but Larry’s more so with the guards. He’s kind of let me do my thing and so has Huggs. 

“When you have coaches that let you express yourself on the court verbally and with your game, that is going to let you develop your game. You’re allowed to try new things and experiment in the gym. Not even speaking for myself — we have a team full of guys that love to be in the gym, so it’s a recipe for a winning season.”





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