By JACOB POLACHECK
Among the many standouts from the first Nike EYBL Session in Orlando, class of 2024 Team TSF forward Isaiah Evans made a clear impact on scouts and fans alike.
The 6-foot-6, 165-pound small forward out of North Mecklenburg (NC), showed off his ability to get out in transition, shoot threes and play fast. His best performance of the session came in a win over Arizona Unity on April 9 with 25 points and nine rebounds on 9-for-17 from the field and 6-for-10 from three-point range.
“I just think that how my skills affect the game is being an outside threat first and then everything else falls into place,” Evans said. “You have to be able to critique yourself. I feel like I could’ve played better.”
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 20 overall prospect in the class of 2024, Evans currently holds offers from Tennessee, Coastal Carolina, Hampton, Illinois, Cincinnati and Texas A&M.
“My recruitment is pretty even,” Evans said.
He broke down each school:
Tennessee: “It’s really just the overall vibe. I’m seeing how much the coaching staff welcomed me. Even social media fans are really involved. We keep in contact. It’s not like we just got on the phone one time, he offered me and then we never talked. We talk on the usual within the rules of course. We are always keeping in contact.”
Coastal Carolina: “I didn’t really know about them. It was just a connection with my coaches. He told me they were interested and it was North Carolina, so I was like, I’m happy for any offer or any visit. I took an unofficial on their campus. It’s a nice campus. They offered me when I got there.”
Hampton: “That was my first offer. I went on a visit with my teammate. We liked it. It’s a nice HBCU. (Edward Joyner) came up to watch me play in the summer runs. He said he liked how I play and he offered me on the spot.”
Illinois: “I haven’t really heard that much about Illinois. I can’t really say I know about them, but I know historically how good they are. I know they’ve produced a lot of elite players. They’re definitely going to be taken seriously in the recruiting process.”
Cincinnati: “That was my most recent offer. We’ve been talking for a while now, so on the call with their coaches and just talking, we’re trying to build a relationship. They offered me right before that first session.”
Texas A&M: “I just always hear about how hard they play in the college basketball community. I hear about how Texas A&M plays really hard and is gritty. You always want to play for a team like that.”
Evans has already taken unofficial visits to Tennessee, Coastal Carolina and Hampton.
“It’s about would I want to live there,” Evans said. “If it’s a university that I really want to go to, it’s the best spot and I really like the area, then I feel like I’ll take that risk and still go to that school. Also, that’s going to be my life for a long time, so I want to be comfortable with the area that I’m in.”
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