Garfield’s Jaylin Stewart Carrying The Family Torch

By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium

Jaylin Stewart’s legacy was built long before he was born. The Garfield High School basketball standout is the son of former Rainier Beach star Lodrick Stewart, a two-time state champion, and state tournament most valuable player. Lodrick scored 2,060 points and helped the Vikings to a 106-10 record over his four-year tenure at Rainier Beach, before going on to play for the University of Southern California (USC) and professionally overseas.

With a blueprint laid out for him, Stewart has picked up where his family essentially left off. In addition to Stewart’s father being a standout athlete, he comes from a long line of gifted family members.

His grandfather Andrew Stewart is a hall-of-fame powerlifter, and uncle Rodrick, his father’s twin brother, is also a two-time state champion and scored 2,025 points during his four years at Rainier Beach before playing at USC and the University of Kansas.

His other uncle, Tre Simmons, is not only one of his coaches at Garfield and a Garfield alum, but Simmons also played basketball at the University of Washington, where he finished his career as the school record holder for three-pointers in a single season with 80 before playing 14 seasons overseas.

Stewart’s twin uncles Hikeem and Kadeem Stewart also starred for the Rainier Beach Vikings. Hikeem went on to play collegiately at the University of Washington and Kentucky Wesleyan, while Kadeem finished his collegiate career at Vancouver Island University.

“I dreamed of this day with my son when he was born,” says his father Lodrick. “I’m just proud to be his father and blessed to see him keep the Stewart name alive, that’s it. He has a perfect mix of me and his mom, and we created something so special.”

With strength and basketball running in his genetics, it feels as if Stewart was destined to be an amazing athlete like the family members that came up before him, and once his freshman year had arrived Stewart was ready for all the big moments.

During his freshman year, Stewart was sensational as he helped the Bulldogs win the Metro League championship and the state 3A basketball title. Stewart, who averaged 12.3 points per game in the state tournament, would go on to receive scholarship offers from the University of Washington, the University of Arizona, and the University of Montana.

Unfortunately like all athletes across the country, COVID-19 not only put life at a standstill but their athletic careers as well and Stewart’s sophomore campaign was short-lived. By the time the world opened back up, he was coming into his junior year after an impressive summer.

Participating in USA basketball, he attended the Junior National Team Minicamp and was named one of the 16 finalists for the 2021 USA U16 National Team. Going up against some of the best high schoolers in the world, Stewart’s confidence was high, and he was ready to put everybody on notice.

“Freshman year I was laid back cause of seniors. I had to step up junior year because I’m known as one of the best players,” said Stewart.

Understanding that he is one of the best players nationally and locally, Stewart helped lead his Bulldog team to tremendous success. Along with former Garfield teammate Koren Johnson, Stewart led his team to a perfect 17-0 in conference play, became a two-time Metro League champion and first-team All-Metro selection, and was a first-team All-State selection as the Bulldogs finished the season with a 25-1 record.

Playing for Seattle Rotary during the summer, Stewart took his show on the road to Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League, where he led his team in scoring with 17 points per game, and averaged 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and one steal and one block. Stewart was named most valuable player in the fourth session of the league, and once it came to an end he earned Second-Team honors.

In a scouting report by 247sports.com, Stewart is described as, “At 6-foot-7 and 215-pounds with big hands, soft touch, and versatile skill, Stewart can create mismatch problems all over the floor. Stewart plays with poise, rarely gets sped up, and is a reliable passer and decision-maker in the frontcourt. Physically, he has a naturally broad build with good length and natural strength. He’s a deceptive vertical athlete who can fly in for both tip-dunks and blocked shots.”

Putting together a tremendous junior year, and with his senior year approaching, college coaches and their school’s fan bases were eager to know if the 6-foot-7 small forward was going to choose their school to further his career.

However, they wouldn’t have to wait long. On September 16, just two weeks into his final year of high school, Stewart, a four-star guard and 84th-best player in the country according to ESPN, took to his social media accounts informing everyone he was going to play for Head Coach Dan Hurley at UConn. His decision came less than a week after taking an official visit to the school’s campus.

“I chose UConn because I feel like they made an extra effort to show that I was going to be a key piece in what they got going on,” said Stewart. “When I was on the visit, I clicked with all the players and the coaching staff are already close to my family, so it was the perfect fit for me.”

According to sportsillustrated.com, UConn’s recruiting class, including Stewart, ranks 5^th in the country, and Stewart knows that he is expected to hit the ground running.

“They were recruiting me for my scoring abilities, but they’re expecting me to come in and give effort on the defensive end and be a two-way player,” says Stewart about what his role with be at UConn.

Committed and signed to continue his academic and athletic career, Stewart can now focus solely on the final chapter of his high school career. Averaging 18.9 points while shooting 60% from the field, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game this year, Stewart has been critical to the Bulldogs’ success. He was recently named First-Team All-Metro and the Metro League’s most valuable player.

Now with a 19-1 overall record, and just a few weeks remaining in his high school career, Stewart looks to lead his team to a district championship for the second consecutive year and to hoist another state championship trophy.

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