Former Hoosier Parker Stewart Returns Home to UT-Martin For Final College Season

Parker Stewart is a well-traveled college basketball player because family has always come first for him. That's why he's leaving Indiana after just one year to return home to Tennessee-Martin for his sixth and final season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Parker Stewart is going home.

The 6-foot-5 senior guard, who played one season at Indiana but was here since January of 2021, has decided to spend his sixth and final college basketball season at Tennessee-Martin. He announced the move Monday on social media. 

Stewart, who played in 34 games for Indiana this season and started 31, averaged 6.2 points per game and led the Hoosiers in made three-pointers with 53. He was also first in three-point percentage (39.3%).

Stewart started his career at Pittsburgh and played one year there in 2017-18. But when his father, Anthony Stewart, was named the head coach at UT-Martin, he transferred there to play for him. After sitting out a year to transfer, they had one season together in 2019-20, but Stewart died of a heart attack in November 2020 prior to their second season. 

He had a prior relationship with Indiana assistant coach Kenya Hunter and decided to transfer to Indiana for Archie Miller's last season, but sat out the spring to deal with his father's death.

He entered the transfer portal after Miller was fired, but decided to stick around and play this year for Mike Woodson. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard averaged 24.5 minutes a game, and was a bit of a disappointment considering his prolific scorer reputation. 

He scored in double figures only six times, and in his final nine games at Indiana, he scored only 37 points — a 4.1 average — and made just 6-of-30. three-pointers, just 20 percent.

"One thing I’ve learned in life is to never take time around the people you love for granted," Stewart said on Twitter. "I will be using my additional year of eligibility and will be returning HOME, to UTM for my final season. Long Live 45…my goal is to complete your mission. Mama I’m back."

Stewart's mother Cheryl still lives in Union City, Tenn., just up the road from Martin in northwest Tennessee. Stewart also has two siblings.

Stewart is one of four Hoosiers off the 2021-22 roster who opted to enter the transfer portal. Senior guard Rob Phinisee has committed to Cincinnati and Michael Durr opted to go to Central Florida. Only guard Khristian Lander has yet to find a new home.

Stewart participated in Indiana's Senior Day festivities, one of two players who did so. Race Thompson did as well, but has decided to come back to Indiana for his sixth and final season. Phinisee chose not to take part, but isn't coming back after all.

At Pittsburgh, he made 71 threes as a freshman, setting a school record. He averaged 9.1 points per game and shot 42.5 percent from three. 

At UT-Martin, Stewart had a huge statistical year. He was the only Division I player to average at least 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 three-pointers per game. He was a second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection.

Stewart did have some issues at Indiana. He was benched for a game in December, forced to sit out a half for disciplinary reasons that Woodson ''kept in house.'' But he was also one of five players suspended for the game at Northwestern for violating curfew. Indiana lost that game, and it was part of a five-game Hoosiers losing streak.

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