Arizona reaches out to Wichita State transfer Erik Stevenson

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

So it begins...

The offseason has started, which means you can expect a lot of posts like this from now on.

The Arizona Wildcats are one of several teams that have reached out to Wichita State transfer Erik Stevenson, he told Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.

The 6-foot-3 guard has also heard from Florida, South Carolina, Memphis, Gonzaga, Texas, USC, Washington and many, many others. Stevenson officially entered the transfer portal on Friday.

“Coach (Gregg Marshall) and I didn’t have a great relationship,” Stevenson told The Wichita Eagle. “Obviously we didn’t mesh. That’s probably the biggest reason why I’m leaving. I’ve got to find a better relationship and a better situation.”

Stevenson would likely have to sit out the 2020-21 season before having two years of eligibility.

The Lacey, Washington native appeared in 31 games (21 starts) for the Shockers this season, averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He shot 37.7 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from 3, hoisting over five triples per game.

Stevenson seems to do his best work on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 1.5 steals per game while ranking fourth on Wichita State in defensive box plus-minus and first in defensive win shares. That is no small feat considering the Shockers were the eighth-best defensive team in the country, per KenPom.

Wichita State started the season 15-1 before finishing 23-8. Stevenson started the first 18 games before being benched.

“I felt like I showed what I could do at the highest level,” Stevenson told The Wichita Eagle. “When I had the confidence from Coach (Marshall) and the staff and I wasn’t looking over my shoulder after every mistake, I was the leader of the team and we were winning games and winning by big margins. But when the confidence from the staff went away and the one-mistake, come-out rule went into place, that’s when things started to go downhill. I think the former players know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Stevenson was a three-star recruit coming out of high school, ranking just outside the Top 200 in 247Sports’ composite rankings.

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