What to know about North Meck standout, five-star Duke recruit Isaiah Evans
The Charlotte area is loaded with outstanding basketball talent this season, but there is only one player with a five-star rating attached to his name.
Isaiah Evans, North Mecklenburg’s 6-6 senior forward, will be the center of attention every time he and the Vikings take the court this season.
He averaged 26 points and 6.4 rebounds a game last season, scored 62 points in one game, is committed to Duke, and is being mentioned as a possible McDonald’s All-American. He won North Carolina’s biggest individual award as a junior last season, being named Mr. Basketball.
But if you’ve somehow missed out on the Isaiah Evans publicity (or even if you haven’t), here are six things to know about a player being mentioned in the same breath as former Duke star and current New Orleans Pelicans standout Brandon Ingram.
It wasn’t always just basketball
Imagine Evans as a wide receiver or a soccer striker. That could have happened.
Growing up, Evans played football and soccer, in addition to basketball. People who saw him as a youth said he was talented in all three sports.
That ended around the time he reached middle school.
“When I got to sixth grade, I decided that basketball would be my sport,” he said. “It’s what I love.”
He’s a work in progress
“Evans has as much long-term upside as any wing in the class,” said recruiting expert Adam Finkelstein, of 247 Sports.
He added that Evans “has immense two-way tools.”
Another recruiting service noted, “He has all the upside in the world.”
Evans appreciates the kind comments, but he said he is still working on a few things.
“I’m working on getting to the basket more,” he said, adding that getting off a good shot is a matter of physics.
“You have to understand angles,” he said. “I’ve watched a lot of film, and I’ve learned that the angles will most likely be there. You just have to understand where they’ll be, and then take advantage of them.”
Some recruiters also note that Evans, listed as 170 pounds, will need a bigger frame for college ball and beyond.
“I spent a lot of time in the weight room in the offseason,” he said. “I think I put on a few pounds. It’s something I’m working on.”
He’s committed to Duke
Evans announced last April 27 that he would attend Duke.
“Coach (Jon) Scheyer lets his players play,” Evans said. “He is a really good coach. And it’s Duke!”
But social media went into overdrive earlier this month, after Cooper Flagg — a 6-8 forward whose game bears some resemblance to Evans’ – committed to Duke. Some people wondered if Evans might consider looking at another school over fears that Duke might wind up with too many wings.
But Evans put the speculation to rest last weekend, declaring on his X (formerly Twitter) feed, “I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
The Chambers game was special
Evans had a legendary performance last Feb. 28 in the state playoffs, scoring 62 points in North Mecklenburg’s 105-92 double-overtime victory over Chambers. At the end of the first overtime, with his team trailing by three points, Evans dribbled the length of the floor and put up an off-balance 3-pointer that tied the game.
“I really had to push it,” he said of the drive and shot. “I only had four seconds. I was thinking, ‘Move, move, move, and get a good shot.’ ”
“That,” he said recently, “was the craziest game I’ve been in.”
He likes his coach
Evans said playing under head coach Duane Lewis at North Mecklenburg has helped make him a better player.
“He pushes you to be the best you can,” Evans said. “He believes you can be better than you already are. You want to work for a person like that.”
Lewis was asked late last season to describe Evans, who scored 40 or more points five times.
“Isaiah is special,” he said. “It is that simple. Isaiah is special.”
Good luck seeing him play!
Getting a ticket to a North Mecklenburg home game is not an easy task, as the Vikings’ gym is among the smallest in Mecklenburg County.
If you want to see Isaiah Evans in person this season, your first opportunities are likely to be Dec. 12, when the Vikings play at Harding; or Dec. 15, when North Meck visits Mallard Creek.
But even those larger gyms are likely to be filled to capacity, so you’ll need to plan ahead.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
