Cagers expect Stevenson to get more involved in scoring

What would be the remedy for the third-worst shooting team in the Big Ten? Getting their shooters to shoot might be an awfully good start.

For Stevenson, a propensity to pass up open shots is overshadowing his penchant for extraordinary rebounds.

"Maybe he doesn't think he's open," power forward Jarrett Stephens said. "We do."

Out of 71st High School in Fayetteville, N.C., Stevenson has quickly emerged as a symbol of a successful future for Lion basketball that continues at 12:15 p.m. tomorrow when Penn State hosts Northwestern at the Bryce Jordan Center.

After senior forward Rahsaan Carlton went down to a foot injury against Illinois on Jan. 11, Stevenson was thrust into the Lions' starting lineup for the next game against Michigan State.

Stevenson tallied a career-high eight points, six rebounds and two assists in his first Lion start, a 69-58 loss to the Spartans. But his athletic ability and rebounding prowess caught the eyes of the fans and players. His rebound input remained steady, as he grabbed five against Wisconsin and a team-high seven against Northwestern.

"He's a physical player," said Stevenson's high school coach, Bernie Poole. "He was physical here. He played inside."

Stevenson played power forward in high school for three years until taller players arrived, forcing Stevenson to play shooting guard. After high school, Stevenson had developed his inside and outside games.

"His perimeter game was getting so much better," Poole said. "He's a great kid, and he worked so hard."

Stevenson's rebounds began to amass in large quantities much more than his point total did. He grabbed five boards and scored just three points in his second start against Michigan State. He grabbed five more rebounds against Northwestern. He tallied a total of 14 boards against Indiana and Michigan but scored only 11 total points.

As good as his rebounding was, and still is, his scoring has raised the questions. It's not Stevenson was missing shots, he just wasn't taking many.

Lately, Stevenson has come off the bench to spell Carlton, who has started the last three games. And over the past three games, Stevenson's minutes have diminished, as he played just eight minutes last game against Indiana and 13 minutes against both Michigan and Minnesota.

"I was comfortable," Stevenson said, referring to his starting role. "After starting and now coming off the bench, I'm a little nervous."

A lack of confidence, or an abundance of nervousness, is expected from Stevenson. After all, he is just a freshman. Instead of starting the game with a plan in mind, Stevenson must find a way to stay in the contest when he's called upon.

Lion forward Carl Jackson, Stevenson's roommate, knows all about the mind of a freshman. Both he and Stevenson are experiencing their first years as Lions, and trying to dominate as freshmen can become slightly overwhelming.

"He is just trying to get the offense going," Jackson said. "He's not trying to take a weak shot because every possession counts. I think when you get in there, and we might be down a couple of points, you have a tendency to not want to start shooting."

Since the Lions will host the only Big Ten team they have beaten this year, Penn State may actually find itself ahead by a few points.

And maybe then Stevenson will shoot.