SPORTS
Wisconsin men’s basketball adds recruit
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Also by Ben Voelkel:
- Defense vital in victory (March 24, 2008)
- Wisconsin tops Kansas State to advance to Sweet 16 (March 24, 2008)
- Balanced scoring leads team to championship (March 10, 2008)
- Wisconsin ends regular season (March 7, 2008)
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by Ben Voelkel
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan added to his 2008 recruiting class when Phoenix-area swingman Ryan Evans concluded a three-month courtship with the UW program Monday by verbally committing to the school.
Evans can make the commitment official by signing a letter of intent when the late signing period begins April 16.
“They’ve been one of the top programs; they’ve got coach Ryan,” Evans said when contacted by phone Monday. “They were No. 1 [in 2007]. I think they got up to No. 6 this year. I fit the system; I fit coach Ryan’s system.
“I love the town, the fans, everything was just positive about it.”
As a senior this season at Chandler Hamilton High School, Evans scored 18.4 points per game and grabbed 7.3 rebounds per game, leading his team to the Arizona 5A state semifinal.
Evans is a late-bloomer, having grown five or six inches between his sophomore and junior seasons, sprouting from 6-foot to 6-foot-6-inches. Now, at 6-foot-7-inches and 185 pounds, Evans said he thinks he could still grow another inch or two and has plenty of room to fill out physically.
“I don’t think they’re looking at him to come in and … help to contribute right away,” Hamilton head coach Kevin Hartwig said. “I think Ryan understands that, and I think he’s got to get stronger. I think he’s a kid that they just see down the line can contribute and help them out.”
Evans fits the mold of recent Ryan recruits in that he was lightly recruited by major programs — he chose Wisconsin over Pepperdine and Portland State — and is a player who will fit into the UW system by playing multiple positions. Evans said he feels comfortable playing anywhere on the floor, from the two, or shooting guard, to the five or center position.
In a conversation Monday, Evans touted his length and how that helps him play defense and block shots. Offensively, Evans’ high school career prepared him for life in Ryan’s swing offense.
Without a major post player, Hartwig said Evans played both inside and out and had success with each approach.
“We had a lot of movement (in the offense) where Ryan could use his flexibility,” Hartwig said by phone Monday morning. “He can shoot the three, he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. … As the year progressed, he got a lot better with his inside play and posting guys up.”
Evans was on a visit of the school March 3 when Wisconsin beat Penn State to clinch a share of the Big Ten championship. The atmosphere around the UW campus — both athletic and academic — sold him on Wisconsin.
“I met a lot of the people there, a lot of the counselors and whatnot, and everyone was down to earth,” Evans said. “The people there did nothing but make me happier about getting the offer.”
Despite hailing from Arizona, Evans describes himself as coming from a “Big Ten family.” His father, Greg, wrestled for Minnesota in the early 1980s, and Evans’ uncle, Dave Evans, was an All-American and Big Ten champion wrestler for Wisconsin in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Those connections meant Evans watched a lot of Wisconsin basketball over the years and led him to sending a highlight tape to the UW coaching staff.
Wisconsin already had the maximum of 13 players under scholarship for next season, meaning one current scholarship player will not have his renewed. The most likely option would be junior Kevin Gullickson, a former walk-on who fell out of favor with the coaching staff in February following his third underage drinking ticket and played only two minutes for the remainder of the season.
With Evans’ commitment, UW’s fall class now is at five members.
Guards Robert Wilson of Ohio and Jordan Taylor of Minnesota, and centers Jarred Berggren of Minnesota and Ian Markolf of Texas, signed during the NCAA’s early signing period.
Anonymous (April 9, 2008 @ 10:15am):
so much for recruting actual ATHLETES to act GET PAST the sweet 16.
Anonymous (April 9, 2008 @ 12:54pm):
To the above comment, at least he is going out of the midwest for recruits, Ohio, Arizona, Texas, etc.
Time will only tell but back to back 30 win seasons just doesn't happen a lot in college basketball...if he does it again it will be amazing!
We could always bring back Van Gundy for you?
Anonymous (April 9, 2008 @ 12:56pm):
The guy is 6'7" and it's been said he's going to break Alando Tucker's vertical leap record... how much more athletic do you want him to be? Not to mention Wilson and Taylor aren't too bad athletically either. Know your stuff before you spout off about things you obviously don't pay close attention to.
Anonymous (April 9, 2008 @ 1:10pm):
So much for expecting intelligent commentary from the readers.
Anonymous (April 9, 2008 @ 7:52pm):
Yes, out of nearly 350 Division I programs, Bo Ryan merely managed to get into the top 16. Clearly he doesn't know what he's doing at all when recruiting.
Anonymous (April 26, 2008 @ 1:03pm):
30 win season's is tough, not to mention the road games in the big ten conference is very hard to deal with. Things are being done right by Bo Ryan and his players!
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