The Real Erik Stevenson Finally Stepped Up and Revealed Himself
No one ever questioned Erik Stevenson's talent.
The pure shot.
The ability to score in bunches.
His propensity to take over a game.
They just wondered when it was going to show up for the University of Washington.
It took 10 agonizing games.
A transfer from Midwest powerhouse Wichita State but a local product from Lacey, Washington, Stevenson admittedly hit a stretch totally unfamiliar to him and his game.
The ball wouldn't go down and he wasn't sure why.
"Probably it's just playing without thinking," he said of his turnaround.
Looking back now, Stevenson could have pointed to a less-structured offense used by the Huskies, where everyone tends to freelance some contrary to the set plays used by the Shockers.
He admitted to a degree that he was pressing far too much to establish himself in his new surroundings.
Stevenson would never acknowledge this publicly, but a struggling Husky basketball team, one shuffling through three playmakers while trying to find chemistry and a rhythm, made him a basketball victim.
He finally fought though all of these obstacles, foremost a prolonged shooting slump — that showed him connecting on a miserable 25 percent on all of his shots, 17.4 percent on 3-point attempts — by dumping in 27 mostly long-range points on the California Golden Bears, though it wasn't quite enough to avoid an 84-78 defeat in Berkeley.
His first nine games of 8, 6, 7, 3, 4, 4, 0, 2 and 0 points hopefully will become an anomaly, something he can shrug off once and for all.
Following the Cal game, Stevenson met with the Seattle press for the first time virtually, a situation previously delayed by the pandemic and his uneven play.
He offered a deep baritone voice that wasn't obvious to his audience because the players don't readily mix with outsiders.
Not unexpected was the brooding if not challenging persona, which has been evident at times on social media, as this tweet would indicate.
Stevenson's expanded confidence, and continued high scoring, should give the Huskies hope over the coming months.
His teammates could take a lesson from him. He's played big-time college basketball at Wichita State and he knows what it takes to get to that level. A fully engaged Stevenson gives the UW a much better chance to win again.
"It was definitely a change from where I was coming from, system-wise," he said. "I think the big thing, and not just only for myself, is to get better chemistry for one another."
Most of the other Huskies are caught in a deep abyss that has reached 22 losses in 27 outings over two seasons and counting.
Stevenson appears to have the attitude and accuracy to get program recovery in motion.
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