It has been nice to see him play well for Nebraska basketball.
As Nebraska basketball continues to go through a rough stretch, I have been focusing more on the performances of individual players rather than the entire team. One of the players that I have really been watching, and one who I have been impressed with, is Shamiel Stevenson.
Over the past two games in particular, he has really been playing well. He scored 10 points and tallied six rebounds and a steal against Purdue on Saturday. Prior to that, he scored nine points in 16 minutes of play in addition to recording to rebounds and a steal against Maryland on Wednesday.
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When you consider his entire body of work, the last two performances have been an uptick on what he has done over the course of the season. He has scored 5.6 points per contest this season in 14.7 minutes of play. He has been getting more minutes as of late, and I believe that is partly because Nebraska basketball wants to rest their starters.
This is the perfect opportunity for a guy like Stephenson to step up and show what he can do. He’s had opportunities to do that the season, but we are now seeing him play well over a relatively lengthy stretch.
After having to sit out due to transfer rules in 2019-20, he is almost back to where he was in the 2017-18 season. Playing for Pittsburgh, he averaged 8.5 points in 23.8 minutes of play. He played in 32 games for the Panthers that year, starting in 13 of them.
I was impressed with his aggressiveness on Saturday, and I have been impressed with his aggressiveness over the past couple games. He has been very active in trying to drive towards the rim , and to his credit, he has been getting towards the rim. This has been great to see, as sometimes I feel as though Nebraska basketball settles for quick shots instead of trying to get contact in the lane.
I will be interested to see how he continues to play over the next couple of games. He is turning into a very solid option for Nebraska basketball off the bench, and that is allowing him to see more minutes. I’ve noticed that the coaching staff has trusted him to be out there a little bit more than at the beginning of the season. As a result, he looks comfortable.
He is proving to be a key player for Nebraska basketball. He may not put up big numbers all the time, but he is providing them with a nice spark at a time when they desperately need one.