It has been a heck of a year for the Huskies: 10-1 in non-conference play, 18-2 in Big East play, a Big East tourney title with 3 wins by an average score of 85-69, and 4 NCAA tourney wins over the past 2 weeks by an average score of 81-54 to clinch a spot in the Final 4 this weekend. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with UConn basketball parent Lodrick Stewart about his son Jaylin.
As a senior at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle you won the 2003 AAA state championship and were named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? I trained really hard and had a lot of confidence in myself so it came naturally for me.
You went 106-10 during your high school career alongside your twin brother Rodrick, 3-time NBA Slam Dunk champ Nate Robinson, future NBA lottery pick Terrence Williams, and future pro basketball player CJ Giles: did it reach a point where you just expected to win every time that your talented group stepped onto the court? Yes, but not just at school: we all grew up in the same neighborhood just a couple of blocks away from each other and would even play on the same squad during pickup games. We played so well on the court because of how close we were off the court.
In 2004 you were named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team as a player at USC: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? It did not matter who I was playing with/against. I was always prepared for the big moments, just like my son is.
In the 2007 NCAA tourney you beat Arkansas/Texas before losing to North Carolina: what do you remember about Longhorns FR Kevin Durant (who scored 30 PTS in his final college game), and could you tell at the time that the Tar Heels’ young core of Ty Lawson/Tyler Hansbrough/Wayne Ellington/Danny Green would be good enough to win an NCAA title in 2009? 1 of my teammates (Dwayne Shackleford) was Durant’s cousin and kept telling me about him that entire year. I finally looked up his highlights on YouTube and was impressed: it was rare to see a player back then with guard skills who was also that tall. It does not shock me that Durant is still playing today and is 1 of the best in the world. My brother and I always took pride in playing against UNC because we thought about going there for college. Hansbrough was 1 of the hardest blue-collar players that I ever faced.
You graduated with a school-record 232 career 3PM: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Just putting up a lot of shots every day, even after games before you go out partying with your teammates. It was a gift from God but also hard work: I thought that every shot I took was going in.
You now work as a girls assistant basketball coach: how do you like coaching? I love coaching: I have learned a lot along the way, and I like giving back to the next generation to help them get to the next level.
Your son Jaylin grew up in Seattle: what made him choose UConn? It was his choice. A lot of people assumed he would go to USC like I did, but it can be hard to follow in your father’s footsteps. The whole UConn coaching staff is down to earth: if I had met them when I was a player then I would have wanted to go there as well. It was what he wanted and I think that he made the right decision.
1 benefit to the Huskies blowing out their opponents this month is that Jaylin has been able to make a basket/get a rebound in 5 of his past 6 postseason games in the Big East/NCAA tourneys: what is it like as a father to see your son contributing to the tournament run of arguably the best team in the nation?! It is humbling. All of his teammates are healthy/having fun and the moment is not too big for them. It does not shock me that he has been contributing and it does not get much better than that.
Your father Andrew is a Hall of Fame powerlifter, your brothers Scotty Ewing/Tre Simmons played pro basketball overseas, your younger twin brothers Hikeem/Kadeem played college basketball, and your daughters Donna/Lisa play basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? That is a hard 1! All my kids are gifted in their own way, and I think they all have a chance to make it big if they stay focused.
Any predictions for the defending champs this weekend?! I think UConn will take it all. They are the deepest team and even if it is a close game they have the best coach in the country so it is their tourney to lose. I cannot ever remember seeing a team have a 30-0 run like they did in the Elite 8 vs. Illinois: it was kind of amazing to me.