Steward started 22 games and played in 24 games during Duke's 2020–21 season. A 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) combo guard, he averaged 13 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.[5]
The Duke team finished that season 13–11, with a 9–9 record in the ACC. It was the first year since 1995 that the Blue Devils were not invited to the NCAA tournament.
While the season did not live up to Duke's usual expectations, Steward had multiple highlights during his only year on the team. In his college debut on November 28, 2020, Steward scored 24 points in an 81–71 win against Coppin State.[6] On December 21, 2020, Steward was named Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the week.[7] On January 15, 2021, Steward scored 26 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in a 79–68 win over Wake Forest.[8]
Professional career
Stockton Kings (2021–2023)
After a very successful freshman season at Duke, Steward debated going professional. At 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m), Steward was seen as having a shooting guard's skills in a point guard's body, and this led to a sense that he would need to develop point guard skills before he could effectively play in the NBA. Nevertheless, he decided to make himself available for the NBA draft.
Steward is the son of Katicha Jackson-Williams and Danny Boy Steward, and stepson of Tyrone Hill. He is named after his father, who was a former Death Row recording artist. He also played football in high school, and has a brother, Trent. Steward grew up in Oak Park, Illinois where he attended Brooks Middle School. He attended Fenwick his freshman and sophomore years, then transferred to Whitney Young for his last two years. He played travel ball since his middle school years with Meanstreets and played EYBL circuit, where he made an even bigger name for himself.[18]