Stewart a perfect fit for South Dakota

At a point in the season where the University of South Dakota men’s basketball team believes its fortunes are turning for the better, Kaleb Stewart is ready to prove it to be true.

Never letting what happened yesterday get in the way of making the best of today might sound a little trite to some, but it works, especially when guys like Stewart are part of the effort.

The junior guard, who transferred to USD after two seasons at Louisiana Tech, is coming off an impressive 27-point effort in a loss at South Dakota State that solidified his status as one of the Summit League’s top scorers.

Stewart is averaging 16.3 points a game and 22.4 against Summit League foes while hitting more than 40% from beyond the arc, so Sunday’s contest was not the first time the Coyotes have looked to this Houston resident for points. As he and his teammates prepare for a rematch with Denver at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, there remains a lot of talk about the last time the Coyotes faced the Pioneers.

It took two overtimes in that matchup in Denver. Stewart’s 44 points in that contest – the most points by a USD player since 1967 – were not quite enough in a double-overtime loss but the display was impressive nevertheless.

“I think he wanted to be a point guard when he got here but our team really needs his scoring,” said USD coach Eric Peterson. “He does play the point for us when we need that but he’s better for us off the ball. He’s also our best perimeter defender and draws the toughest defensive assignment every single night.”

Most important for Stewart and the Coyotes, their recent efforts are something to build on as the season progresses toward the most important games.

“I think there were times at the beginning of the year when we sat back and were a little too reactive,” Stewart said. “I think now we’re more proactive. There were times at the beginning where we’d go three or four minutes without scoring and give up 10 or 12 points during that time. I think we’re getting better at avoiding those gaps.”

Stewart is on his third coaching staff in his three years of college basketball. The idea that there would be some adjusting taking place at USD is essentially accurate but because coaching changes have been part of every season since he left high school, he’s getting pretty good at adapting.

“Coach Peterson does a really good job of circling the things we’re doing wrong but being positive about it,” Stewart said. “When it comes down to it, losing is frustrating and going through certain periods of time like we have is frustrating for all of us. But Coach Peterson does a really good job of not letting it get worse. Everyone still feels like the goal is the same. He does a really good job of keeping people motivated and talking to us. He’s able to relate to all of us.”

When Stewart was one of the Houston area’s best players at Atascocita High School, one of the programs recruiting him was Utah State, where Peterson was an assistant under Craig Smith. He ultimately decided on Louisiana Tech, but two years later Peterson was the USD head coach and Stewart was looking for a change of scenery after dealing with two coaching staffs in two years.

With roster chaos at the doorstep every offseason these days in college basketball, gathering in information about the kind of talent needed in the program is vital. In Stewart’s case, Peterson had already seen him play in high school and knew several of Stewart’s former coaches. 

“After seeing him play as a junior in high school I knew he was a perfect fit at USD,” Peterson said. “He’s an unbelievable athlete -- really explosive in the open floor.”

Peterson called Stewart when he saw that the guard was leaving Louisiana Tech and got a commitment 10 days later. The phone call came in when Peterson was in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., vacationing with his family. A scoring guard with the skills to fill-in at the point was headed to USD.

“Kaleb just said, ‘Coach, I don’t need to talk about this anymore, this is where I know I want to be,’” Peterson said. “He’s obviously a great kid with an awesome family – a perfect fit for our program.”

Stewart played in 49 games at Louisiana Tech and was part of the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2021. When he put his name in the transfer portal, he attracted immediate interest from mid-majors intrigued by the same things that got Peterson interested. 

“I liked the way they talked to me about basketball,” Stewart said. “They had a focus on basketball while becoming a better player and being able to grow as a person.”

The decision to come to South Dakota came as a bit of a surprise to Stewart’s parents but as former college athletes themselves – they met at Wiley College where his dad, Curtis, played basketball and his mom, Akisha, was a volleyball player – they understood their son had to figure this out on his own.

“They told me to make the best decision for myself,” Stewart said. “Trust your heart, trust God and go from there. They told me they’d be happy with whatever decision I made but I have to admit they were a little surprised when I told them I was going to South Dakota. It was a long ways a way from Houston and a lot different weather-wise.”

Stewart, who is pursuing a media & journalism degree, has come to appreciate life in a small town in ways he could not have anticipated given that he spent most his life in Houston area with its more than 7 million people.

“Everyone is really polite – it seems like manners are really important,” he said. “Even with the small stuff like going to the store, people will ask you if you need help. I think because there is not as many people, it’s more close-knit and more friendly.”