Recruiting Wrap

Donivine Stewart planning visits

Posted by: Jeremy Werner

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 8:52 AM

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Entering his junior year, Donivine Stewart is the elder statesman on the Bartonville (Ill.) Limestone basketball team.

The second-team all-state selection is taking on an even greater leadership role as he looks to lead a young Rockets squad far this coming season.

"I want to work on my game of course, but I want to teach the younger kids how to play within the system, so we have a better chance this year," said Stewart, a 5-foot-10 point guard. "We have a young talented team, but we still have a lot to learn. I'm just working on my leadership a lot this year. We can do big things."

"I always felt like the leader on the team, but this year I know everybody on the team is looking up to me. There's no one on the team that doesn't speak to me in the hallway, or ask me questions in the hallway or text me. They look for me when they have questions."

Stewart, who averaged 24 points per game during his freshman and sophomore seasons, has been tutoring his younger teammates on skills he excels at, like "how to use angles or how to play a man the correct way."

"I love to help teach because that's how I learned," Stewart said. " I learned by my dad teaching me and breaking everything down and making it simple. So it's easier for me to teach, and I like to see people improve."

Stewart played with All-Iowa Attack AAU team, a talented team that features top Class of 2010 prospect Harrison Barnes.

"My defense is so much better," Stewart said. "People don't think my court awareness or understanding of the game could get any higher, but last year my IQ went up so much more. The love for the game went up way more, just the little things."

Division I programs continue to court Stewart. He said many teams have been calling lately, including Colorado, Stanford, Miami (Fla.), Arizona, Arizona State, Rice, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia Tech­­. Missouri Valley Conference schools are also very interested in Stewart.

Stewart received scholarship offers from Illinois and West Virginia. The Illini have cooled on Stewart since receiving a commitment from Mt. Carmel point guard Tracy Abrams last December but continue to send mail to the Limestone guard.

The Mountaineers have kept in touch, though.

"West Virginia is actually coming up here (this) week," Stewart said. "They've been keeping in contact with me. They call up once a month. I call up there to talk with them and chat with them. They're keeping interest and letting me know that they're still there if I want to take (the offer) and keeping a relationship."

Stewart said he plans on making a few trips to colleges this fall and take in some football games. He said he would like to visit Ohio State, Miami (Fla.) and Rice.

"There's a couple of the schools I like," Stewart said. "From all the schools, I like a couple of things about them, but right now I just have to keep doing my research and go from there."

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