Erik Stevenson is one of the top NCAA Basketball transfers on the market this offseason. Which teams are in the running to land him?
While the NCAA Basketball has come to us a lot sooner than it was supposed to, that means that the transfer portal is heating up. With hundreds of names already in there, many teams are going to be looking at talent who can be the difference between being good, or able to do some damage in March. Landing someone such as Erik Stevenson can do the trick for a team.
The 6’3 shooting guard had a good sophomore campaign for Wichita State, second on the team with 11.1 ppg, while also producing 4.7 rpg and 2.3 apg in 25 mpg. He started in 21 of Wichita State’s 31 games, reaching a season-high 29 points in a win over Ole Miss. Stevenson is streaky to say the least, shooting 37.7% from the field overall and just 30.4% from deep. But when on, he can be a difference-maker for any team on the court.
A number of teams have gone after Stevenson, who has recently listed a final five group of teams. They’re Gonzaga, Maryland, San Diego State, Oregon and Washington. It’s not too surprising that this list is predominately west coast teams since the guard himself is from the state of Washington. So which one is the best potential landing spot for the shooting guard? Here’s a look ranking each team from my standpoint for the rising junior.
*Operating under the assumption that Stevenson will sit out next season barring a waiver or NCAA rule change
5. Maryland Terrapins
There’s certainly going to be a need for another scoring guard in due time for Maryland since Darryl Morsell will have graduated by then along with both Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala will be seniors in 2021-22, if either doesn’t go pro by then. Three-star guards Marcus Dockery and Aquan Smart are in the 2020 class but likely won’t be playing much this upcoming season behind the upperclassmen.
It’s hard to envision Stevenson opting to go east compared to the western options on the list if everything is considered equal. Playtime and a guaranteed starting spot is not a guarantee for a top-half Big Ten team, who will be going after plenty of other transfer guards this and next offseason as well. It would be a major surprise if the guard opts for the Terrapins.
4. Oregon Ducks
The Ducks are going to look very much different next year, not having long-time starting point guard and All-American Payton Pritchard around anymore. In fact, only Will Richardson and Addison are the guards projected to still be around for the 2021-22 season. Don’t feel too bad for head coach Dana Altman though, as he’s shown a great ability to recruit both star JuCo players and top-50 prospects to have an immediate impact, along with transfers such as Anthony Mathis as well.
And that creates a decision for Stevenson if he chooses the Ducks. It’s still a question as to whether he can be an effective starter for a top-tier power conference program and we’ve seen many examples of transfers struggling after playing at a higher level of competition. He’s definitely a rotation player at the very least but Oregon could very well get better transfers/high school recruits within the next year while Stevenson sits out.
3. Washington Huskies
Finding playing time won’t be an issue for Stevenson if he picks the Huskies, considering how much the team is in need of effective guard play. When Quade Green went out with an academic suspension, Washington cratered to finish under .500 for the season. Something to consider is that all of those guards are underclassmen, so unless transfers occur, the backcourt will be fairly crowded for 2021-22.
Something else to consider will be head coach Mike Hopkins. Not saying that he isn’t a good coach but he benefitted from a senior-laden class in his first year, while having a team under .500 despite having a pair of five-star freshmen in Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels on the roster. With no commits in the 2020 class at the moment, it’ll be interesting to see what next year’s Huskies squad will look like. Despite it being close to home, are the Huskies the best fir for Stevenson?
2. San Diego State Aztecs
There isn’t a program who benefitted more than transfers this season than San Deigo State, who had Yanni Wetzell (Vandy), KJ Feagin (Santa Clara) and Mountain West Player of the Year Malachi Flynn (Washington State) all play great to lead the team to a historic 30-2 season. Head coach Brian Dutcher’s system isn’t too different from what Stevenson played at Wichita State, and the Mountain West Conference is comparable in terms of talent.
The Aztecs will certainly look different in two years but it’s an opportunity for Stevenson to play on a nationally relevant program and not have to worry about playing time or being recruiting over during the year off. And if paired with another talented transfer, who knows, maybe San Diego State can get a similar result as this year.
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs
If head coach Mark Few and Gonzaga are serious about a particular transfer, it’s hard not to have them as the best landing spot. I mentioned how great transfers had been for San Diego State this year but they’ve been great for the Bulldogs for the past couple of decades. Ryan Woolridge and Admon Gilder are the latest examples, seemingly fitting with the team in their lone season as a Bulldog.
With Corey Kispert and likely Joel Ayayi gone after next year, there is a need for a shooting guard for Gonzaga. And with how they play through their bigs and create room for their guards, Stevenson’s shooting percentages will certainly shoot up if he plays for Gonzaga. The concern though is whether or not even better guards will play for this team in 2021-22. Top-50 combo Dominick Harris is already around, while top-30 guard Hunter Sallis has the Bulldogs among his initial list of suitors. And let’s be honest, in each offseason, Gonzaga will always have the ears for any top-tier grad transfer who wants to play for an NCAA Tournament team.
That being said, Gonzaga will be in need of some upperclassmen talent and leadership two years from now and Stevenson doesn’t even have to start. If Gilder can move to being a sixth man for the benefit of the team, there’s no reason why the Wichita State transfer won’t be willing to do the same if he opts for the Bulldogs. If he decides to sit next season and not go for a waiver, then the Bulldogs would be the ideal destination for him. But if Stevenson does try to play next season, then I’d say go to San Deigo State.