Recruiting Report: Tyler Stevenson (2016)

<p>For <strong>Tyler Stevenson</strong>, the message was always clear: Studies come first.</p><p>“Ever since I was a little kid, it’s always been school before basketball,” said Stevenson, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior guard at Overland. “Before we could even go out and hoop or do anything, we had to finish our homework. Our mom was always on our butts. With our dad we could maybe sometimes get away with it, but our mom was on it. So that just became a habit.”</p> <p>The message has been received loud and clear. Stevenson carries a 4.1 GPA at Overland, putting him in the top 10 percent of all students in his class at the large school.</p> <p>That kind of success has spurned big dreams for Stevenson when it comes to his college future.</p> <p>“I want to go to a more prestigious college for academics,” he said. “The Ivy League, I feel like, is kind of where I fit. I would have a great education to follow up with basketball, so I feel like that’s my goal.”</p> <p>Stevenson said he has had light letter correspondence with Yale and Brown. And now that he’s proven himself academically, the senior is embracing the opportunity to show his growth on the court.</p> <p>After averaging 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game for an Overland team that went to the Final Four during his sophomore season, Stevenson transferred to OnPoint Academy, a basketball-centric prep school in Oklahoma. He went with teammate Jervae Robinson, the goal for both being an improvement to their all-around skill-sets.</p> <p>“Prep school sounded great,” Stevenson said. “Basketball comes before everything. You live, eat and breathe basketball at a prep school, and that was kind of the lifestyle I wanted. Things just didn’t work out at the prep school I went to, but I just took those experiences and kept it moving.”</p> <p>The coaching staff at Overland is certainly glad to have Stevenson back. He is a tough-minded guard who brings great energy and commits on the defensive end. He’s a solid ball-handler and strong finisher through contact.</p> <p>He’s the type of player who makes the kind of beyond-the-box-score plays that add up to wins. His return, along with that of Robinson, will help offset the losses of backcourt players Austin Conway and Padiet Wang.</p> <p>“I think it’s being the dog or the energy that keeps the team going,” Stevenson said of the biggest attribute he believes he’ll bring to the Trailblazers as they hunt for a second straight state championship. “I want to be that really good teammate who knows how to work with the team when things aren’t going well. If you’re going to do it, give it all you’ve got. It’s something my dad put into me that carries over to basketball.”</p>