Before CSUB was Division I, Kebu Stewart helped put Bakersfield basketball on a national stage.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. Before Cal State Bakersfield was a Division I program, Kebu Stewart helped make Bakersfield basketball nationally respected.

Stewart, one of the most dominant players in CSUB men’s basketball history, is now part of the 2026 Cal State Bakersfield Athletics Hall of Fame class. His selection is more than a celebration of one great player. It is a reminder of the championship standard that has existed in Bakersfield for decades.

After transferring to Cal State Bakersfield from UNLV, Stewart became the centerpiece of one of the greatest stretches in Roadrunner basketball history. From 1995 to 1997, CSUB went 55-8 with Stewart in the program, a run capped by the 1997 NCAA Division II national championship.

That 1996-97 season remains one of the greatest individual seasons ever produced by a Roadrunner. Stewart averaged 21.5 points and 13.4 rebounds per game, numbers that still stand as school records. He was named NCAA Division II Player of the Year and earned Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player honors after helping lead CSUB to the national title.

For Bakersfield basketball, Stewart’s impact reached far beyond the box score.

At a time when Division II basketball did not always receive the spotlight it deserved, Stewart made people pay attention. He gave CSUB a nationally recognized star. He helped put Bakersfield basketball in championship conversations. He showed that elite talent and winning basketball could exist right here in Kern County.

His success did not stop at the college level. Stewart was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft, becoming one of the clearest examples of how a player could come through Bakersfield and reach the professional level.

For today’s young athletes, Stewart’s Hall of Fame honor should mean something.

It should remind them that Bakersfield has a real sports history. Great players have worn local uniforms. National champions have played here. Professional athletes have come through here. The standard is not new. It has already been set.

In an era where young athletes are chasing exposure, rankings, offers and opportunities, Stewart’s story is proof that greatness can come from Bakersfield. His career is part of the blueprint. Dominate where you are. Win at the highest level available to you. Make people respect your game.

Stewart’s induction into the 2026 CSUB Athletics Hall of Fame gives a new generation a chance to look back and understand what came before them. Before CSUB was Division I, before social media highlights and recruiting graphics, Stewart was helping carry Bakersfield basketball onto the national stage.

And nearly 30 years later, his name still belongs in the conversation.

Because greatness has come from here time and time again.