Had a chance to catch up with Hikeem Stewart weeks ago when he was playing at the Northwest Collegiate Summer League.
The third-year junior is making the transition from standout shooting guard at Rainier Beach High to Husky point guard. Adapting to the new position hasn’t been easy.
Stewart played in 17 games as a freshman as a reserve and 11 points and six assists for the season. As a sophomore, Stewart averaged more minutes (8.1 from 5.1), but he appeared in just 16 games and he finished with eight points, nine assists, six steals and seven turnovers for the season.
Stewart described the 2013-14 season as a make-or-break year for him. There’s plenty of contenders at point guard including Andrew Andrews, UW’s second leading returning scorer, All-American high school star Nigel Williams Goss and incoming freshman Jahmel Taylor.
Stewart said he has no regrets about choosing to play at Washington and talked about disproving his naysayers. He believes the Huskies will return to the NCAA tournament after a two-year absence. He also raved about incoming freshman Darin Johnson and senior forward/center Perris Blackwell.