Fort Lewis College men’s basketball redshirt freshman Stewart Erhart was an unknown to opposing coaches and his new coaching staff at FLC to start the 2024-2025 season. Fast forward three months, opponents fear his defensive ability and his team loves how his defensive energy has pushed his team toward the top of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Erhart, a 6-foot-2-inch 165-pound guard, seems like he’s powered by an endless supply of electricity on the court. He uses his quickness and cat-like reflexes to pick up steals and deflections that disrupt opposing teams’ offenses and gives his team a spark. Opponents always have to be on high alert with the ball whether Erhart is their primary defender or not. One second of complacency can cost a team a possession as Erhart heads the other way for a transition basket.
The Skyhawks have won 10 of their last 13 games, are in fourth place in the RMAC and lead the conference in steals with Erhart’s presence a big reason. Erhart leads the conference with 2.3 steals per game in only 23.6 minutes per game off the bench. He’s had multiple steals in 13 out of 23 games and had seven steals in a loss to Colorado School of Mines.
“He’s a big effort guy,” FLC head coach Jordan Mast said. “When we talk about things we value as a program, it’s defensive intensity, defensive effort and creating that pressure. He really bought into what we were preaching there. He’s always scrapping; he’s always fighting. The thing I love the most is I identify with how I used to play with how he plays. Not the biggest, maybe not the most athletic, but having the will, the want and the drive. Everything he does impacts winning at a high level.”
While Erhart is known for his defensive prowess, it wasn’t always this way. Growing up in Fairbanks, Alaska, Erhart was told during his eighth grade and freshman year that he doesn’t play defense. Erhart responded by working on his lateral quickness to be ready to defend bigger and faster players. His work paid off and during his junior and senior years of high school, he averaged over five steals a game. He won Alaska Men's Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Then Erhart arrived in Durango in the fall of 2023 as a Skyhawk under previous head coach Bob Pietrack. He noticed right away that Erhart was competitive and extremely tough.
“Coming from Alaska, it’s hard to be recruited to really big schools and really good teams,” Erhart said. “My uncle, he told me to start reaching out to people on Twitter. I found out what Fort Lewis was, looked at their history and reached out on Twitter. Coach Pietrack reached out to me and told me to come here, redshirt and then I’d have an opportunity.”
Erhart joined the FLC men’s basketball team after a historic 29-4 regular season. The Skyhawks were loaded once again in 2023-2024 and routinely played 10 players, making Erhart’s decision to redshirt a logical move. FLC went 29-4 again and was a top 10 team in Division II.
As a freshman, Erhart still battled in practice despite knowing he wouldn’t see any time. He played hard against experience guards like Junior Garbrah, Obi Agbim, Jhei-R Jones and Samier Kinsler and got used to playing against that level of competition after a month. Garbrah, specifically, matched up with Erhart a lot and the two would go back and forth. Garbrah had a size advantage over Erhart that made Erhart prepared for stronger Division II guards. Pietrack knew Erhart was ready to play but he didn’t have a place in the rotation for Erhart with the Skyhawks’ depth.
After last season, the Skyhawks’ coaching staff changed and Mast came in. Erhart was one of three players on last year’s roster to stay with Mast and FLC. Erhart immediately liked Mast’s competitiveness and his demand for excellence.
“The RMAC is a good platform and I knew we were about to press,” Erhart said. “I trusted myself and let it all work out. Would I really find a better position to be in than where I am right now? This is a great spot to be in. People finish out their careers here.”
One thing that stayed the same from Pietrack’s team last year to Mast’s team this year was the press. Erhart said there are some differences between the presses but a pressing style suits his game. Mast found that out from Pietrack’s assistant coach Jeff Evans, who told Mast he thought Erhart could fit into what Mast was trying to do defensively.
The next level defensively for Erhart is getting into the weight room to build strength and growing into his body, according to Mast. If that happens, RMAC teams might see Mast’s defense and Erhart in their nightmares.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
