Dominick Stewart has racked up some travel miles before beginning college.
The Ocean Springs, Miss. native played his high school ball at the highly-ranked Southern California Academy. During his time in SoCal, Stewart and his teammates competed in Overtime Elite (OTE) in Atlanta, Ga. with the team name “Rolling Loud”.
During his one season in OTE, Stewart set the league record for three-point percentage (43.2) and averaged 13.7 points and 3.9 assists.
“[Overtime Elite] was a really fun experience… there was a lot of talent in there, so being able to show that I can compete and play with those guys really just helped my confidence overall,” Stewart told NSN’s Joe Smeltzer and others during summer availability.
And the combo guard had collegiate options to continue his round trip of the United States (offers included Cal, Butler and Old Dominion) but ultimately decided on Penn State because of the familial culture head coach Mike Rhoades is building.
“I think coach Mike and the whole staff made it feel like family,” Stewart said in an interview with 247Sports. “He’s a player’s coach, and he connects with his players on another level.”
Dominick Stewart, Penn State Basketball
NAME: Dominick Stewart
HOMETOWN: Ocean Springs, Miss.
POSITION: Guard
YEAR: Freshman
HEIGHT: 6-foot-5
WEIGHT: 195
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That ability to connect with his players stems from Rhoades’ intentionality in building his roster.
After being one of the leaders in the Big Ten in three-point attempts per game and pace last year, Rhoades doubled down on shooting and positional fluidity during the offseason.
“We’re bigger, we’re faster, we got more shooting so we can play our style that we want longer because we’re going to be deeper,” Rhoades described during the conference’s media day in Rosemont, Ill.
Signing a player like Dominick Stewart is just another example of how Rhoades envisions his team playing; pace and space with the ability to plug and play at any position on both ends of the floor.
While the 6-foot-5 Stewart fits that bill, he’s most excited about the potential to develop holistically in the long run.
“I trust and believe in Coach Rhoades and the rest of the staff to help me develop on and off the court… Penn State is a place that feels like home.”
