Prospect Watch: Patrick Evans (2019)
The McCluer North Stars will be looking to accomplish some impressive things during the upcoming season.
One of the main reasons why expectations are so high at North is the return of Class of 2019 wing Patrick Evans, who is a three-year starter for the Stars. He has received early recruiting interest from schools such as UMSL and Lindenwood-Belleville (IL).
An explosive 6’3″ athlete, Evans forms a very formidable dynamic duo with fellow 6’2″ athlete A’Tavian Butler. Both are versatile matchup problems who can play multiple positions.
Evans has a big body and that combination of physical strength and athleticism makes him very difficult to defend when he attacks the basket on the drive or posts up in the lane. When he attacks the basket, Evans is an impressive finisher with the ability to throw down dunks in traffic against anyone. He has also developed a very effective pull-up jumper from the mid-range area.
“Before I became a guard, I used to play as a big,” Evans said. “I used to playing inside against the big guys. I’ve been working to improve my ball handling, shooting and passing ability. The more things I can do, it makes me tougher to match up with.”
As a junior, Evans averaged 14.1 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field in helping the Stars to a 14-11 record. With a strong senior cast returning for the season, Evans and his teammates have lofty expectations.
“We want to go on a state run,” he said. “We talk about it every day. We’re seniors and all we talk about is winning.”