When Steve Settle III stepped into the Wells Fargo Arena for the 2023 NCAA Tournament in March, he felt like his years of hard work had finally paid off.
“I remember seeing the buzzer go off, it was just a crazy feeling,” Settle said. “To get to that point was surreal, honestly.”
The six foot, 10 inch forward was a key piece for Howard in the 2022-23 season, helping the Bison earn their first March Madness bid in 30 years. He averaged more than 11 points, six rebounds and one block per game en route to the Bison’s best season in decades.
Settle used his graduate year to join Temple’s program following his success in Washington D.C. Now, he wants to use his final season to lay the foundation for a new era in North Philadelphia.
Basketball has meant so much to Settle since his family introduced him to the sport, and playing against Kansas, one of the best programs in college basketball, on March 16 was not lost on him.
Growing up around a supportive basketball family was the fuel Settle needed to begin his journey. He enrolled at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland and played for its nationally-recognized basketball program.
Settle didn’t play much and struggled with balancing being a good teammate and wanting to be on the floor.
Managing that balance came to be a frustrating roadblock, Settle said.
“My junior year, I really didn’t play at all,” Settle said. “And then my senior year, it kind of started out the same way, so it was hard for me. There was plenty of anger, plenty of tears.”
In his senior year, Settle used that anger to motivate him to work harder, and an eight-inch growth spurt his junior year helped as well. He finished the season averaging 33 points and five rebounds per game, and his work earned him a scholarship offer from Howard. However, he had already committed to Loomis Chaffee Preparatory School in Windsor, Connecticut and was leaning toward honoring that commitment.
Settle’s parents ultimately convinced him to accept Howard’s offer, a decision he would not go on to regret.
“My parents were all over it,” Settle said. “I think that’s what drove me to go there, my parents’ confidence.”
The Bison were in a rough spot when Settle joined the team in 2019 as the team hadn’t recorded a winning season since 2002. Settle also found himself struggling to adapt to basketball at the college level. While working with Howard head coach Kenny Blakeney, Settle realized he needed to redshirt.
“I don’t think I was ready to play college basketball,” Settle said. “I wasn’t strong enough, I wasn’t confident enough. Coach Kenny allowed me to redshirt that year and just allowed me to do what I wanted, get out all the kinks.”
As Blakeney continued to help, Settle was finally able to flip the switch his junior year. After two underwhelming seasons, the Bison earned a 16-13 record, their first winning season in 20 years.
Settle became a major part of the team’s success. He finished 2021-22 averaging nearly 14 points and just more than five rebounds per game. He was fourth in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference in scoring and fifth in total minutes.
“That’s probably one of the best guys I’ve played with,” said Temple forward Jahlil White. “His length, he’s so versatile, he’s so effective on defense.”
The program’s success continued when the Bison took an even bigger step forward the following season, finishing 22-13 and first in the MEAC. They won 14 of their last 16 games, with the final three coming in the MEAC tournament. They played Norfolk State in the championship for a spot in the NCAA tournament, winning 65-64.
After Howard’s NCAA tournament loss, Settle entered the transfer portal and officially arrived at Temple in May.
Settle accomplished a lot for the program and he felt it was time to move to another team that could use his leadership, he said.
“We put a lot of work into that program,” Settle said. “A lot of long days, a lot of long hard practices. So to see that work pay off was huge.”
Settle got right to work with the Owls. He filled a void in Temple’s front court, becoming the tallest player on the team while fitting into head coach Adam Fisher’s philosophy of spacing the floor and shooting threes.
Settle has also become a leader for the squad off the court. His experience has been invaluable for his younger teammates, Fisher said.
“He’s an unbelievably hard worker,” Fisher said. “He’s been a great leader, very mature. He’s already like a pro.”
Settle is ready to find success in his new home, and the lessons he learned in high school and college have taught him how to be unselfish and find an opportunity to make his mark.
Now, he wants his experience to translate to continued success on the floor.
“I’m expecting a really good year, a really fun team, and the start of a great culture,” Settle said. “We just work and we’re gonna let the chips fall where they may.”
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