Timberline’s Erik Stevenson picks up two offers, could have more coming

Timberline High School junior Erik Stevenson picked up two more Division I basketball offers this past week.

Boise State and Yale both offered the three-star shooting guard from Lacey, bringing his total to seven. He was already entertaining offers from Wichita State, Washington State, Hawaii, Cal Poly and Old Dominion.

And there could be more on the way.

“I’m really excited,” Stevenson said. “The feeling that you get when you know one of the big-time programs is looking at you and going to offer you — you really can’t describe it.”

Stevenson is in Indianapolis this weekend with Washington Supreme, his AAU team, playing in the second session of a four-event circuit sponsored by the Under Armour Association.

He had an impressive outing last weekend in New York, the circuit’s first stop, that has drawn interest.

“On Saturday my shot was falling, I was blocking shots, I was dunking,” Stevenson said. “I was kind of doing it all.”

Washington Supreme coach Carl Howell said Stevenson has several schools coming to watch him in Indianapolis following that performance.

“He’s just got that ‘it’ factor,” Howell said. “He’s got that intensity and athleticism and toughness, all wrapped into one. When he’s out there, he’s a factor in so many different phases of the game.”

But perhaps what makes Stevenson most appealing, Howell said, is the level at which he plays and understands the game.

“He plays like a college kid plays, as a junior in high school,” Howell said.

Stevenson averaged 19.5 points per game for Timberline as a junior, leading the Blazers to a Class 3A state tournament appearance at the Tacoma Dome in March.

He is a two-time Olympian All-Area selection and was an all-state honorable mention selection his junior season.

While some locals have finalized college basketball plans, Stevenson opted to play his final AAU season before making a verbal commitment.

“It’s probably one of the better decisions I’ve made,” he said.

The UAA hosts its third session in Los Angeles in May and its final tournament in Atlanta in July. Stevenson said he anticipates making a decision this summer, after his season concludes.

“It all just depends on the fit,” he said. “The fit, the coaching staff and how the program has done in the past.”

Howell said this weekend will be big for Stevenson, and anticipates the list of existing offers could expand by next week.

“He’s going to end up playing at a major college — wherever it might be — which is an unbelievable opportunity for a kid,” Howell said.

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Timberline’s Erik Stevenson picks up two offers, could have more coming."