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Basketball Recruiting

Five-star sophomore KJ Evans discusses early recruitment

January 26, 2021
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The expectations are now extremely high for Baltimore native KJ Evans. Many say he will be the next best star out of Baltimore since Carmelo Anthony and that’s an extreme amount of expectations lofting on the shoulders of Evans. The 6-foot-8 prototypical wing attends Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, a powerhouse in the DMV area which most recently sent Justin Lewis to Marquette.

Evans is the cousin of San Diego State freshman Che Evans and his father Kwame Evans Sr. was a standout at George Washington in the ’90s. He plays his basketball for Team Durant on the Nike EYBL circuit. He’s the total package and will have a legitimate chance to battle for that top-ranking in the 2023 class.

His recruitment took off very quickly. He landed 15+ scholarship offers and tons of high-major programs including several blue blood schools that have been intrigued by the Baltimore native. Amongst his scholarship offers are Maryland, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, and others.

Major upside prospect who can score at all levels, very fluid shooter, but the area I’m most impressed with him is probably his skill with the ball and his ability to run the floor and be around the perimeter at his size. He’s still growing and he could hit 6-foot-9 which is more of a difference than people actually believe it is.

The five-star prospect discussed his recruitment with Stockrisers.com



Which programs have remained heavily involved?

“Pittsburgh, Maryland, and Illinois.”

Obviously, Maryland is the local school and has been on you, thoughts on them?

“Maryland has a great system. My dad grew up with one of the assistant coaches on the staff so they are close. They are fast-paced and they like to go up and down the floor.”

How about Pittsburgh? Coach Jeff Capel has already extended you an offer, thoughts?

“Pittsburgh is a good school. I like their system. The coaches at Pitt are genuine people and they want kids that go through there to succeed in life and not just making it to the NBA. They are also a fast-paced team which intrigues me.”

What about Illinois, who has also remained heavily in the mix?

“Illinois has a great system as well. From what I watched they play at a very fast-pace. They always have a good roster and I really like their culture.”

Now, which programs have shown you interest without offering, recently?

“Kentucky and Memphis.”

How would you best describe your game?

“I’m versatile. I can shoot the ball well, I can handle on the break, I play defense and block shots, and I also make tons of plays.”

What are your expectations for this upcoming season?

“My season expectations are to win most of the games that we play this year. I want to average a double-double as well and get my teammates more looks for college since COVID-19 is changing things for the seniors.”

Is reclassifying an option?

“No, reclassifying is not an option but that can change at any time.”

 
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