NEWARK, N.J. — At the beginning of the season senior guard Trey Stewart was not a part of BYU's rotation. He played a few minutes here and there and was no stranger to a DNP.
Now, the Utah native is a main part of BYU's bench unit, playing pivotal minutes in BYU's run to the Sweet 16.
During those times where Stewart watched from the bench as his teammates played, two words were told to him time and time again that he was not fond of, but learned to live by: "Stay ready."
"I pride myself in being one of the hardest workers on the team," Stewart told KSL Sports last week. "I was really losing faith in the hard work."
For a long time, Stewart, while incredibly athletic, was seen as nothing more than a locker room guy. A fan favorite, yes, but a locker room guy.
Widely regarded as one of the best teammates on the team, Stewart gained a following from BYU fans because of his off the court style, charm and likable personality.
Stewart stayed at BYU for all four years of his eligibility, even when he was not getting meaningful minutes against conference opponents and likely could have transferred to a school where he could get more playing time.
He stayed through new uniforms, a new conference and a new coach.
While the in-game opportunities were slim, Stewart showed out during practice, proving just how athletic he is. In June 2024, the Cougars participated in "combine testing," where members of the team took part in events that you see in the NBA Draft combine.
Stewart not only showed out, but his time of 9.8 seconds in the Pro 4-Way Agility test would have been the fastest ever at the NBA Draft combine.
But still no playing time.
"Staying ready was a very frustrating phrase for me," Stewart told The Daily Universe on Wednesday. "I am ready. I've been ready for years."
Little by little, staying ready paid off. In the last loss before BYU's nine-game win streak from February to March, Stewart was one of the few bright spots. He hit a 3-pointer and played solid defense in the loss to Cincinnati.
He followed that game by going 3 of 3 in only six minutes in a win over West Virginia.
Things started picking up from there, regularly getting 15-plus minutes off the bench during BYU's win streak.
"Trey is a Big 12 athlete, he's a Big 12 defender as well," Young said in February. "There were times where I had to tell him, 'life's not fair. You're playing extremely well and not in the rotation and that may not change.' He's a guy that just stayed ready."
Stewart's lockdown defense and efficient shooting gave the Cougars an added spark off the bench. One that every team could use.
It wasn't just a few-games phenomenon or a regular season fluke. Stewart has carried this level of play into the postseason.
Against Wisconsin in the second round on Saturday, Stewart scored seven points in a game that only saw BYU win by two. Had Stewart not "stayed ready," BYU would have lost.
Against Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, Stewart had three steals and two 3-pointers. Luckily for BYU, Stewart "stayed ready."
"It's just a testament to anyone that if you ever feel like you're in the hole or you're not gonna come out, just keep working," Stewart told KSL Sports after Saturday's win against Wisconsin. "That work will always come back to you."
As for Stewart's role against a high-powered Alabama offense in the Sweet 16: Stay ready. His defense will likely be a huge factor if BYU is able to pull off the upset against No. 2 seed Alabama.