Prospect Spotlight: Ryan Evans (2020)
Santa Margarita’s Ryan Evans knows and understands that every team he’s going to face lists him as the “shooter” on its scouting report.
Evans has earned that monicker over the last two seasons with the Eagles with few others in Southern California able to rival his ability to stroke the 3-point shot.
And if it seems like the sophomore is letting his catch-and-shoot triple fly more often and with more confidence this season, that would be accurate.
“I’ve had a couple of breakthrough games this season, which have given me a lot more confidence,” Evans told Prep Hoops So-Cal after a huge performance at the Classic at Damien. “I’m coming out with the mentality that I’m a shooter. It’s come to the point where I’ve gotten so many shots up in the gym, I know my shot is going to go in.”
Santa Margarita shooting guard Ryan Evans has shown supreme confidence in his shot this season.Evans had a career performance against St. John Bosco in the Classic at Damien third-place game in which he scored a career high 35 points, including 7 of 8 from deep.
While it’s flattering to be held in such high regard as a guy who can knock ‘em down from distance, Evans knows that if he wants to take his game to the next level, both at the prep and collegiate stages, he’ll need to add to his offensive arsenal.
“I’ve been working on my first step,” Evans said. “Everyone in the gym knows that I want to shoot three’s, so when I pump fake and have a quicker first step, I’ll be able to get to the basket more and be more athletic.”
Santa Margarita is very much in the conversation for one of the eight CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff spots with its 15-5 overall and third place tie with JSerra with a 3-2 record in the Trinity League.
Evans believes that the Eagles need to continue to play together to close out the season strong and earn that Open Division nod.
“We need to just keep up the ball movement,” Evans said. “The guys on this team like each other and we have the chemistry that allows us to move the ball so fluidly.”