Stevenson Sparking The Bulldogs Off The Bench
February 07, 2023 | Men's Basketball
STARKVILLE – When Shakeel Moore entered Mississippi State's starting lineup four games ago, coach Chris Jans was hoping another scorer would emerge from the Bulldogs' bench.
Tyler Stevenson's play during MSU's three-game winning streak certainly seems to indicate he is both willing and able to take on that role. The graduate forward has scored in double figures in each of those contests and given the team just spark they've needed to turn their fortunes around.
"My teammates and my coaches have really instilled that confidence in me to know that I can go out there, handle my business and play," Stevenson said. "I'll do whatever I've got to do – whether it's scoring, playing defense or rebounding. I'm going to do whatever I need to do to help my team keep winning."
Stevenson has not only scored off the bench, but has also been efficient in doing so. He produced 10 points in 14 minutes in State's victory over then No. 11 TCU and followed up with a 12-point performance in 17 minutes in the win at South Carolina.
This past Saturday, the 6-foot-8, 220-pounder from Columbus provided 10 points in 22 minutes to help the Bulldogs beat Missouri. During that stretch, Stevenson has made 13 of 23 shots while also adding five rebounds and a pair of steals.
"He's playing with confidence now and I couldn't be more happy for him," Jans said. "He's obviously a local kid who's living out somewhat of a dream to play for Mississippi State, a team that he grew up watching."
Stevenson spent the first four years of his college career at Southern Miss, where he started off as a walk-on. He scored over 1,200 points for the Golden Eagles, earning All-Conference USA honors and was a finalist for the Bailey Howell Trophy last season.
But when the chance came to transfer back home to the Golden Triangle to use his final year of eligibility, Stevenson jumped at it. He enrolled at Mississippi State in the fall and has tried to make the most of every minute here.
"It's a great feeling and I thank God for this opportunity," Stevenson said. "I also thank the coaching staff for giving me this opportunity. I'm thankful to be playing alongside these guys and for these coaches."
Stevenson has appeared in 22 games this season and made two starts. He is averaging 4.9 points in 12.6 minutes per game and has scored in double figures five times, four of which have come during conference play.
"He works his tail off," Jans said. "He's just brings his lunch pail and hard hat every single day and he's coachable. He probably didn't play at the level that he wanted to for the majority of the non-conference portion of our schedule. But he's gotten more comfortable now that he's gotten a bunch of games under his belt in SEC play and is getting it on the court."
Stevenson has developed a signature shot over the course of his career that has become the trademark of his offensive arsenal. His midrange baseline jump shot is a thing of beauty and harkens back to a brand of basketball that isn't seen much in today's game filled with flashy dunks and long-range 3-pointers.
"He's an excellent midrange jump shooter, probably as good as I've been around for long, long time," Jans said. "He's uncanny with it. In the preseason, I was shocked when he missed one. You just don't see that. It's an old school shot that you don't see much anymore. Now we know and he knows where he wants it, those sweet spots that he likes the ball as is most comfortable at."
And although that baseline jumper is still Stevenson's calling card, he has had several highlight reel slams during the past three games that showcased some genuine enthusiasm from the usually mild-mannered forward.
"He's not a kid who smiles a ton but he does when he makes the big plays," Jans said. "He'll let those emotions out and I love seeing him when he does that."
MSU certainly struggled to start off SEC play, losing seven of its first eight games. But thanks to Stevenson's assistance off the bench coupled with contributions up and down the roster the last three contests, the Bulldogs have now positioned themselves to be back in the postseason conversation and hope to carry that momentum into their final eight outings of the regular season.
"The whole team has been locked in at practice and paying attention to details in the scout," Stevenson said. "We're playing hard and competing against one another. We're making that translate over to the games and really making it fun."
We are still not over this play 🤯#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/CIDugaAlXz
— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) February 5, 2023
