Stewart Erhart II didn’t have to think long about committing to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team.
The Fort Lewis College sophomore guard didn’t even take a visit here to meet teammates, check out the school or even step into the gym he will play in next season.
“I just need the platform,” said Erhart, who will be part of a small group of Native American basketball players competing at the NCAA Division I level.
Each time the Alaska native has been given the opportunity to shine on a basketball court, it has led to bigger things.
Give him a platform and watch him shine.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Erhart was the Gatorade Alaska boys basketball player of the year as a junior and senior at West Valley High School in Fairbanks in 2022 and 2023.
He averaged 21.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 4 assists during the regular season his senior year, leading a squad that finished as the 4A state runner-up while earning a spot on the all-tournament team for his notable performances.
When it was nothing more than a blip on the recruiting radar, Erhart took to social media to find a school.
If nobody was going to come looking for him, he’d go looking for them.
He attempted to attract the attention of about 10 schools, often posting messages about statistics and accomplishments.
Fort Lewis, a DII school in Durango, Colorado, stood out. The team was successful, and Native Americans make up about 30% of the student body.
The staff told Erhart he could come to the school and redshirt his first year.
He took them up on the offer and used the time to get better.
Erhart had an impressive freshman season in 2024-25, starting 24 games and averaging 8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.6 steals.
After that season, he was determined to double those numbers.
He woke up early every morning and worked out like crazy. He told his teammates who were returning that he would be the best player on the team.
Talk about calling his shot.
Erhart was exactly what he predicted, taking his game to another level this season and paving the way to make his jump to DI.
He averaged 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.7 steals, again proving he is a force on both ends of the court.
Erhart is, as one college recruiter said, a kid who just makes plays.
The UWGB coaching staff had its eye on him during the middle of the season.
Erhart pointed out that Fort Lewis associate head coach James Jansen knows UWGB assistant Aerick Sanders, and the connection kicked off an interest that only continued to grow.
Other coaches in the past month were contacting Erhart, but they weren’t showing the urgency UWGB had in landing him.
“I’m probably not the biggest, most intimidating person,” Erhart said. “But I know I’m going to try my hardest every time to try to win, to try to make my teammates better in practice. That’s probably my best attribute. I play hard all the time.”
Stewart Erhart beat the odds to play collegiate basketball
Erhart’s parents grew up on the Yukon River, the largest river in Alaska and one that features several Indigenous villages.
He grew up in Tanana, a population of a couple hundred people, and it was difficult seeing what so many around him were doing each day.
Many had serious issues with alcohol or drugs. Some had both.
There wasn’t much to do there for anybody, but basketball was one of the things that kept him out of trouble.
Erhart’s been around the sport his entire life.
When he was growing up, his father traveled throughout Alaska playing in Native tournaments.
He watched how intense his father played during every game. He was so competitive at such a young age that any time his father’s team lost, he’d cry because he felt bad for his old man.
That competitiveness also showed during those times when he played his older brother in one-on-games. If Erhart lost, it led to a fight. If Erhart fouled his brother too hard, it led to a fight.
It was always better than the alternative. It was better than falling into the same traps as those around him.
He had no interest in drinking every day. He refused to become a drug addict.
“Just seeing what it does to people,” Erhart said. “That was just like, I don’t want to be like that. I want to take care of myself.
“I’d always go to my auntie’s house because they wouldn’t be drunk or they wouldn’t argue at night. I remember I’d have to go home, and my house is like a wreck. My grandpa is just going to start drinking.”
Erhart moved to Fairbanks when he was 10. His mother, Stephanie, wanted to go back to school. There weren’t many good paying jobs in the village. Somebody might make $16 per hour only to spend $12 for a gallon of milk.
He went from a community of 200 to one with 30,000.
It opened an entirely new world for Erhart. It included comp basketball, which essentially was their version of AAU.
Erhart playing college basketball, especially at the DI level, is something all Native Americans can celebrate.
According to the NCAA, there were 686 Division I Native American student-athletes across all sports during the 2024-25 season.
The numbers have gotten better, but the percentage is still minuscule.
Erhart said he likely will reach out to the Oneida Nation when he arrives here.
UWGB coach Doug Gottlieb has been a big advocate for Oneida Nation since he arrived in 2024 and plans to have basketball camps there.
The Phoenix held an Oneida Nation Celebration Day last November when it hosted Haskell Indian Nations University at the Kress Center.
The 2,744 fans in attendance that day represented the largest home crowd of the season.
“It’s a dream come true, honestly,” Erhart said. “I have had to sacrifice a lot, and there are not a lot of resources growing up or coming from a village, you know what I mean?
“It might be a little harder for people who come from reservations or villages. I basically had to relocate myself to be a good basketball player.”
Gottlieb lands another commitment
Gottlieb and his staff have been busy the past few days, including adding a familiar face out of the transfer portal in Jaxon Edwards.
The senior guard played for fellow Horizon League member IU Indy this season, averaging 11.6 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds.
The 6-5 Edwards has had a unique collegiate career. He has never played more than one season at the same school during his first four years.
He started at Murray State and followed with stints at Valparaiso, St. Bonaventure and IU Indy.
He was limited to just five games and 36 minutes because of an injury during his one season at St. Bonaventure in 2024-25.
His last game with the Jaguars this season was one of his best after he scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a Horizon tournament loss to Cleveland State.
Edwards played well in two games against UWGB.
He had 12 points and 7 rebounds in 21 minutes in the first meeting and 18 points and 6 rebounds in 25 minutes in the rematch.
He shot a combined 11-for-15 in the two games.
Erhart and Edwards join Calvin University center Jalen Overway, Odessa College point guard Ahmere Carson and Angelina College guard Clarence Payia as players signed by the Phoenix since the winter.
UWGB has one other player who has committed, but that player has not yet announced his intention.
It has been another busy offseason for UWGB, which has had several players enter the portal.
The list includes sophomore forward Ramel Bethea, sophomore guard C.J. O’Hara, junior guard LeBron Thomas and freshmen forwards Caden Wilkins and Vukasin Todorovic.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: UWGB coach Doug Gottlieb lands Stewart Erhart, Jaxon Edwards from portal
Reporting by Scott Venci, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
