Hikeem Stewart Profile: A Sweet Surprise

The day after the official visits of Tony Wroten Jr., Hikeem Stewart, and Angelo Chol. UW fans are obviously excited about the idea of having one of the best signing classes in recent years if Angelo Chol commits on February 17. This recruiting class will have two top 100 players and another that is highly underrated in Hikeem Stewart, whom I believe will be a sweet surprise for the Washington Huskies in the next few years.

Hikeem Stewart is listed as the third best player in the state (Washington) behind Tony Wroten Jr. and Gary Bell. He tends to just be blended in with all the other shooting guards and/or point guards in the state and out of the state by national scouts.

This is an issue with the position of guard, and the perception of the position is that there are just so many “good” guards that some of the average guards can make a name by flash and splash. While some of the good ones seem to blend in to the background of the position.

This is where Stewart often finds himself, underrated and blended in, but he doesn’t seem to mind. His game is a ‘role-player’ game with star power, he loves to drive in as much as he loves to dish it out and watch his teammate get the basket. And, this is what makes Stewart so great, he finds his success when his team is finding success. If he sees a lane, he takes it, if he sees an open pass, he sends it.

This is the type of player that Washington needs and is looking for, someone that doesn’t need the glory, isn’t a show boat, but is still an impact player and has amazing potential.

Stewart is underrated and is going to be a sweet surprise for UW and the fans of the Huskies. He will need a season to develop in the Husky system but will begin to really come on strong at the end of the season. Similar to how Terrence Ross has played this year, it took him about 10 games to really understand his role in the offense and now is becoming one of the best at UW. Look for Stewart to have a similar impact in his freshman year. This isn’t saying that he won’t be an impact player right out of the gate, this is saying you will see a huge boost in his game after he has a few college games under his belt. He is and always should be an impact player.

Stewart’s biggest assest that can be utilized right away besides his passing ability, is his smooth and efficient shot. He is deadly from behind the arch, and can be relied on in clutch situations.

What he will need to work on in his first season, will be not letting defenders get under his skin, and thus rattle his style of play. He will also need to work on his ability to play at a slow pace when needed, he seems to excel most (like Washington) when the play is fast and aggressive.

Look for Stewart to be a player that blooms in his freshman year and becomes a solid starter with the potential to be a star in the following years at UW.