Antics of Ex-Husky Erik Stevenson Anger West Virginia Coach

Bob Huggins says the guard will change his ways or leave.

Erik Stevenson, college basketball's perpetual wandering vagabond, has run afoul of his current coach, West Virginia's Bob Huggins.

The former University of Washington guard from Lacey, Washington, a mercurial personality now on his fourth NCAA program, drew Huggins' ire after receiving a technical foul for taunting — specifically grabbing at his crotch — an infraction that fouled him out and led to the Mountaineers losing to Oklahoma State 67-60 on Monday night in Stillwater.

None of this sat well with Huggins, a veteran coach unafraid to say what he thinks, especially when it comes to what he perceives as a player's actions costing him a game.

Huggins, in no uncertain terms, said Stevenson's behavior would change or the coach will part ways with his leading scorer (14.1 points per game). 

Here's what the West Virginia coach, who was described as seething, told media members in his response to what took place with Stevenson at Oklahoma State: 

“We can’t have one guy changing the game the way he’s changed the game. I love the kid, I really do. I wish him the best. But, he hurts our team when he does that. You don’t have that right. I don’t care who you are, what you are, who you think you are, you don’t have that right to hurt your team, hurt your teammates.

“For what? Look at me, look at me. Who cares about you? Do what you are supposed to do. We’ve got to be somebody. We have got to stop the stupidness. I’m not going to have another one. I’m going to say pack your stuff up and head home.”

Bob Huggins says that if Erik commits such an infraction again, he will no longer be a Mountaineer.

— Blue Gold News (@BlueGoldNews) January 3, 2023

On a West Virginia radio show, Huggins pointedly readdressed the issue once more by saying, “Erik gets incredibly stupid again, basically costs us the game. Can’t happen again. Just cannot happen again.”

Stevenson began his college basketball career at Wichita State and over two seasons reportedly clashed with former coach Gregg Marshall, causing him to leave the Shockers for the UW and Mike Hopkins' program.

Playing in Seattle, Stevenson was part of the Huskies' disastrous 5-21 team in 2020-21 and played as poorly as any UW transfer over the past decade, but he accepted no blame for what happened.

Stevenson last year joined South Carolina and played for Frank Martin, who was fired after an 18-13 season and now coaches at Massachusetts.

As for his aggressive on-court antics for West Virginia, which have been season long, the fifth-year senior guard recently told reporters he needs to play with a competitive edge that leans to nastiness in order to be productive.

He also said the UW didn't permit him to do that.

“I have to be like that; if I’m not, then I suck,” Stevenson said. “I’ve been that way since I was 3. The last time I didn’t play with this competitiveness was at Washington and I wasn’t allowed to. It was miserable for me. It was like a tiger being wrapped up in bubble wrap.”

Stevenson, according to a well-placed source, parted badly with Hopkins, accusing him of not living up to promises made before telling the Husky coach he was transferring. No one tried to stop him. 

"Everything was always somebody else's fault with him," a UW team source said.

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