Oklahoma State Lands Point Guard Jawun Evans

Name: Jawun Evans

School: Oklahoma State

Location: Dallas, TX via Greenville, SC

Height: 6’0”

Position: Point Guard

Rank: #24 - Scout, #26 – Rivals, #36 - ESPN

Five-star point guard Jawun Evans committed to Oklahoma State over Illinois and USC just days after taking an official visit to the OSU campus. The 6’0” Evans is one of the top point guards in the country, and arguably the quickest from end to end. 

Going back to the summer before Evans’ junior year he was locally recruited by schools in his home state including South Carolina, Clemson, and College of Charleston. As a fringe Top 50 player, Brad Brownell and his Clemson staff followed Evans around for most of the summer bringing three coaches too many of his games. After a strong summer on the AAU circuit for the 17U SC Raptors Elite team, Evans moved to Texas and played his junior year in Dallas, TX. With the move, Evans began to attract new suitors and soon sky rocketed up the rankings with his play.

This past summer Evans played on the Nike AAU circuit with Team Texas Elite and also sporadically with his former SC Raptors AAU squad on the Under Armour circuit. During his first year in the EYBL, Evans averaged 14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while playing with sharp shooters Matt McQuaid (Michigan State) and Austin Grandstaff (Ohio State) in addition to big man Elijah Thomas.

After taking an official visit to Stillwater this past weekend, Evans finalized his decision to play for Travis Ford in the 2015-16 season. The commitment gives the Cowboys their first pick-up from the 2015 high school class as they previously received a pledge from Igor Ibaka, a junior college power forward from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. While the Evans’ commitment is huge for Travis Ford in terms of getting a talented playmaker, it could also wind up being huge in another one of the Cowboys top targets. As mentioned above, Evans played on the same AAU team as 6’9” Elijah Thomas, who is currently ranked No. 30 in the country. Both Evans and Thomas have talked about teaming up in the future and Oklahoma State is one of the primary schools in contention for Thomas.

When Evans arrives at Oklahoma State he should start immediately. He already possesses college level speed and quickness which allows him to penetrate almost at will on offense. He can single handedly break the press and always has his head up looking for teammates. Evans is athletic enough to finish at the rim, but can also stop and pop for a 15 foot pull-up or a floater in the paint. On the defensive side, Evans uses his quick feet to harass opposing point guards away from the basket and is strong enough in the upper body so that guards cannot easily post him up. Going forward Evans will need to continue to work on his three point shot so that slower defenders are not able to sag off of him in half-court and pick and roll situations. He shot just 8-24 from the three point line in AAU play, but given his propensity to hit jumpers inside the paint this should be an area he can easily improve.

Eric Davis Commitment

Rick Barnes and the Longhorns roped in their first recruit in the class of 2015 when 6’3” shooting guard Eric Davis announced his intention to play for the University of Texas. Davis is currently ranked No. 45 overall by Scout.com and the No. 12 shooting guard in the country. He currently attends Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw, MI and spurned in-state suitors Michigan and Michigan State with his announcement. 

The sweet shooting Davis has been on the national radar for awhile and recently finished a busy summer playing in the Nike EYBL, the NBPA Top 100 camp, the Nike Global Challenge, and also the USA 17U tryouts in Colorado Springs. He averaged 17.4 points per game during the AAU season while scoring in double figures in 16 out of 17 games. In his three day tryout for the USA 17U team, Davis displayed his feathery shooting touch and was one of the top outside shooters in attendance.

This past season Davis averaged 27 points per game at Arthur Hill high and at one point most people thought that Davis was a lock to become a Spartan or Wolverine. During his first three years in high school, Davis visited both campuses several times and took in numerous games in East Lansing and Ann Arbor. Despite the close proximity, an official visit to Austin in August turned the Longhorns into the leader. Texas sold Davis on the fact that he could play either guard position and help them with their outside shooting as they shot under 33% from the three point line. Davis will team with Javan Felix and Isaiah Taylor in the backcourt providing outside shooting help and the ability to play either guard position.

The Davis commitment will also help turn the in-state recruiting momentum back to the Longhorns. Over the past few weeks, Texas A&M grabbed the headlines with the commitments of center Tyler Davis and forward D.J. Hogg, both four-stars from Plano, TX. Now, the Longhorns have one of the top shooting guards in the country and can turn their attention towards other top prospects including four star junior point guard Jawun Evans.

Scouting Report:

Eric Davis, 6’3”, 6’6” wing span, 181 pounds. 

Strengths:

Given his offensive skill-set, Davis will see immediate playing time at Texas. While not a true point guard he can handle the ball and get his team into their offense under pressure therefore giving himself more options for possible playing time. Davis is best at scoring and while he used to be just an outside shooter he can now score from all three levels. In August Davis was determined to get to the basket in the Nike Global Challenge and while he does not possess elite athleticism he constantly scored tough baskets under pressure with both his left and right hand. He is quick enough to free himself for a one dribble jump shot and has strong shooting mechanics that will serve him well down the road.  

Weaknesses:

Davis’ biggest weakness is his actual physical strength; however he has taken strides over the past year to get stronger. From his sophomore to junior year Davis gained 10-15 pounds and will need to continue to bulk up in preparation for Big XII play. As a shooter, he does not have the best shooting percentages hitting only 27% of his three’s in EYBL play. While the shooting percentage was less than ideal Davis hit countless outside shots at every summer stop.

Peach State Showcase: Day 1 Review

The first July live period kicked off summer recruiting with the Peach State Showcase held in Aiken, SC. Numerous assistant and head coaches trickled in throughout the evening which featured a total of 15 games spread over three courts in the USC-Aiken Convocation Center.

Game of the Night:

Team Thad vs. Game Elite

Last year Team Thad started the July AAU season at the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis and this year they took their show to Aiken, SC. In a lackluster first half, Team Thad was down almost double digits in a low scoring first half. Upcoming junior Daniel Giddens controlled the paint for Game Elite and Jaylen Brown used his strength to get to the basket for lay-ups early on. Once the second half started, Team Thad turned up the intensity and quickly closed the deficit. In a back and forth affair, point guard Chris Chiozza created opportunities for teammates off of penetration, LeRon Black finished down low, and Riley Norris ran the court for streaking lay-ups and dunks. Also, the newly committed Marcanvis Hymon made a second half impact battling for rebounds and put backs while also knocking down his free throws. Team Thad displayed just enough energy to squeak out a four point victory.

Dunk of the Night:

Jaylen Brown, 6’5”, SF, 2015, Game Elite

The elite small forward from the class of 2015 made his mark in the first half with powerful drives to the hoop. At the 10:17 mark in the 2^nd half Brown was dribbling the ball up the court and at the half court line he realized that his defender was missing. Brown picked up speed as he dribbled with the right hand and started to attack the basket. He rose off one foot and flew through the paint for a vicious one handed dunk that woke the crowd up. Brown showed off his strength early on and later his leaping ability.

Speedster:

Jawun Evans, 6.0”, PG, 2015, SC Raptors Elite

Speed Demon - Jawun Evans

In a full evening slate of games, Evans was far and away the quickest player to step foot on court 1 in the Convocation Center. The South Carolina native got into the paint whenever he wanted whether it came in a pick and roll situation or just a simple blow-by. Evans pushed the pace in transition and found his big men when a shot wasn’t available and finished the game in double figures. The Clemson coaching staff rolled three deep for Evans’ game which included head coach Brad Brownell in what was the last game of the night.

Top Performers:

Javis Howard, 6’8”, PF, 2014, Upward Stars

Despite a losing effort, Howard had the game of the night. The Upward Stars got off to a slow start but Howard’s first half scoring barrage kept his team in the game. He scored 14 points in the first half which came in a variety of ways. Howard started off with a short right hand hook shot that he went to several more times during the course of the game. He hit a 15 foot jump shot and also was the recipient of several put backs after attacking the offensive glass. The scoring slowed down in the second half but he still hit a three pointer and finished the night with 21 points. While he had a stellar offensive game he also made a few steals and was the point defender in the half court press while corralling any rebound that came in his area. Jason Capel and Appalachian State was front and center for his game, but Howard might have piqued other schools interest with his opening night performance.  

Eric Lockett, 6’5”, SF, 2014, Aim High

Lockett’s team played in the first game of the live period on the main court and impressed all of the coaches that arrived at the onset. In a blowout win, Lockett finished with 18 points. An impressive athlete with a great leaping ability Lockett scored the majority of his first half points off drives or put-backs in the paint. He also handled the ball on the break a fair amount and made good decisions without turning the ball over. In the first half he added a 10 foot jump shot and then hit a three towards the end of the game. While Lockett is a great leaper in the paint, he only got minimal lift on his jump shot which caused a few shots to fall short. Even with these misses, Lockett still put on a show to kick off July.

James Demery, 6’4”, SG, 2014, Team Charlotte

In a win over the Upward Stars, Demery led the way with 17 points. He hit one three in the first half and then used his college ready body to score off basket cuts and put-backs. During the game Demery shot two air-balls from three, but besides for those attempts he played well in front of a some ACC coaches that are recruiting him hard. An athletic shooting guard with a strong frame, Demery was a key part in Charlotte’s opening night win.

Grant Bryant, 6’7”, SF, 2014, Southern Kings

Bryant made his mark all over the court as he often played point forward for his Southern Kings team. With a massive wing span Bryant often corralled a defensive rebound and then began the break on the offensive end with his dribbling ability. After giving the ball up, he often found himself down low close to the basket and finished strongly several times. In a game that was competing for attention, Bryant impressed the coaches that stayed around with his versatility and length.

Head Coaches in Attendance:

Some of the college coaches noted included: Brad Brownell (Clemson), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), Greg Marshall (Wichita State), Josh Pastner (Memphis), Leonard Hamilton (FSU), Brian Gregory (Georgia Tech), Jason Capel (App State), and Doug Wojcik (College of Charleston).