Stock-rising PF Trent Steinour's recruitment is catching high major focus

Trent Steinour was one of the Eastern Seaboard’s biggest stock risers this summer. After playing with the Team Curry program on the Under Armour Next 16U Circuit, the 6-foot-9 power forward from Lake Norman (NC) High School picked up seven offers in the May-June time frame, taking his recruitment firmly into the high major territory.

“I play a lot in the paint, getting offensive rebounds and blocking shots,” Steinour told On3. “I can step out and shoot the three, and I play a lot in the pick-and-roll game as well. I’ll watch a lot of Brady Manek at UNC last year. So with his perimeter game, I’d say I try to interpret his game some.”

On3 caught up with Trent Steinour after a recent live viewing to get a feel for his recruitment.

Steinour talks recruitment

“I hear a lot from Wake Forest, Clemson, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech,” Steinour said. “I don’t have any official visits set yet, but I’ll probably go visit all of those schools.”

Virginia Tech: “We’ve talked a lot about basketball, but we’ve also become like friends. We talk a lot about personal stuff and what I’m doing a lot of the time. We talk about my hobbies and stuff. A lot about my family life. I was able to watch them in the ACC Tournament, and I like how they play, move the ball, get the open shot.”

Wake Forest: “They like that I can shoot. When we went to the Wake Forest Team Camp, they saw I could stretch the floor and shoot it a little bit. They like that I play hard and can get up and down the floor and block shots.”

Clemson: “My granddad follows them; he played there. I went to a game of theirs last year against Virignia Tech. They won on a buzzer-beater with Hunter Tyson. I like Clemson a lot, and I have some good connections there. My granddad would really like me to go there.”

South Carolina: “I don’t know too much about them. A lot of our conversations are about basketball right now, like what all I’m doing to get better, how much I’m working out, how much I’m playing. Coach (Lamont) Paris is the one who offered me, but I talk the most with Tim Buckley. We talk a lot about my hobbies and what I like to do off the court.”

“I’m hearing from Mississippi State and Penn State some too; they haven’t offered yet though,” Steinour said.

Steinour talks bloodlines

“My dad played tennis at UNC, and I grew up a North Carolina fan,” Steinour said. “We go back up there every year for a tennis alumni weekend. We get to play tennis against their team, and I’ll go back to that this year. 

“My granddad played basketball at Clemson back in the ’60s,” Steinour said.

Trent Steinour’s granddad, Randy Mahaffey, was first-team All-ACC in 1966-67 at Clemson. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 16.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in his career with the Tigers. Mahaffey’s three brothers, Don, Ronnie, and Richie, also played at Clemson. Randy was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1967 as the fourth pick in the second round. He ended up signing with the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA, where he was an All-Star as a rookie. Mahaffey is in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame.

…at the end of the day

“I want to play for a program that I can connect with, one that feels like a family and friends,” Steinour said. “I want to be around people who have the same interests as me. I’ll look at how good the team is, the talent around me. Winning is big for me. I also want to play for a coach that will get me better. 

“I want to play somewhere that gets the bigs involved, runs some offense through the bigs. Playing at the high post, dribble handoffs, pick-and pops, a lot that and moving the ball a lot.”