The day Stone moved to Iowa City was an interesting one for him, but it’s one he will likely never forget.

Nor would he want to. It’s the day he met the person he describes as his best friend — Iowa junior wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

“When I first got to campus I was roommates with Kyshaun Bryan, but as soon as I got in my room, I see Ihmir coming by my room, and he just starts talking to me,” Stone said. “I’m like, hold on, I don’t know this dude. Ever since then, me and him are really close.”

It just so happened Smith-Marsette lived down the hall from Stone, and both were among the first to move in that day.

The rest is history.

“I was roommates with a basketball player,” Smith-Marsette said. “[Geno] was one of the first people that moved in. I met him, I met his mom. Everything was great, we really connected. That’s been my boy ever since. When it was time to move off-campus, we live together. So that’s been my boy since day one.”

That friendship has brought Smith-Marsette back to Stone’s hometown.

Stone has made such a habit of bringing Smith-Marsette home with him that New Castle has embraced the New Jersey native as one of their own.

“My mom treats him like her son, too,” Stone said. “We have a bond that will never be broken, it’s going to go on for a lifetime. It’s pretty cool for me to bring him home. Everyone treats him like they treat me, they’d do whatever for him. After every game everyone is texting me, ‘Good game, and also tell Ihmir good game.’ It’s pretty cool, like he’s a part of our family.”

That family-like mentality extends to members outside of the Stone household.

Cowart has become quite the Iowa fan thanks to his former player and New Castle’s “adopted son.”

“When I watch Iowa games, I freak out just watching No. 6 and No. 9,” Cowart said. “Ihmir is our adopted son here in New Castle too, so we’re huge Iowa fans here, huge [Smith-Marsette and Stone] fans here. We’re rooting on those guys and everything at Iowa.”