As the Blue Devils’ season comes to an end, the Blue Zone takes a final look at every player’s performance this year. We’ve already analyzed Cooper Flagg. Next up is freshman sharpshooter Isaiah Evans:
Isaiah Evans
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-6
Position: Guard/forward
This year’s stat line: 13.7 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.5 APG
Season breakdown: In April 2023, a Tar Heel fan strayed from expectations and committed to Duke. In his first year as a Blue Devil, Isaiah Evans became a fan-favorite. Despite not being a consistent starter for the team, the Fayetteville, N.C., native quietly contributed in his first four games, averaging 7.25 points in 11 minutes. His big debut, however, came against Auburn. Hitting a career-high six threes in the first half alone, Evans — nicknamed “Showtime Slim” — finally proved his shooting intensity and his ability to perform under pressure. The lanky guard was on fire, and the energy of the crowd only fueled the flames for his 16 minutes of play.
"[Evans] played a very big role in us coming back, and when he hit the threes, the team felt alive. He gave us a lot of energy," Maluach said after Evans’ breakout game.
The 6-foot-6 guard appears to have a propensity to be either hot or cold. In back-to-back games against SMU, Pitt and Notre Dame, he scored three points in 23 minutes of play. The ice melted enough for Evans to tally up 16 points at Boston College, trailing only Cooper Flagg and Tyrese Proctor. The sharpshooter missed the mark in his next seven games — the highest he scored was 10 points against Syracuse in 20 minutes on the court.
This scoring drought might’ve been the flint to his steel, reigniting his spark. Evans’ next three games against Virginia, Illinois and Miami set a new standard. At Virginia, the 3-point machine shot 83.3% from behind the arc. At Madison Square Garden against Illinois, Evans won the Blue Devils four points from the charity stripe, racking up a team-high 17 points. Reaching 25 minutes of game time at Miami, he put up 16 points and one steal but turned the ball over three times.
These games demonstrated Evans’ potential to be a reliable and consistent shooter on the team. Proctor’s bone bruise during Duke’s win over Miami opened up a window of opportunity for Evans to start his first game as a Blue Devil against Florida State. The freshman took this chance and ran with it, scoring a career-high 19 points off of 17 field goal attempts, 13 of which were 3-point attempts. While making a name for himself as a 3-point shooter, Evans used this game to show off his versatility, driving the paint for some layups and passes to fellow freshman center Patrick Ngongba II.
“Once I get in the game, it’s just repetition. There’s not really anything special to it,” Evans said when asked to explain his success in these four back-to-back games.
In the nail-biting ACC Tournament quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech, Evans put up four treys and two rebounds, stabilizing the team after an early exit from Flagg due to an ankle injury. Starting in both the semifinals against rival North Carolina and the championship game against Louisville, the freshman guard’s energy was crucial in winning head coach Jon Scheyer his second conference title as head coach. Even though Evans only scored eight points across 44 minutes of play in these two games, he contributed two rebounds, three assists and three steals, showing off his developing versatility.
While playing 19 minutes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Mount St. Mary’s, Evans only scored four points. In fact, the sharpshooter went 1-of-10 from behind the arc in the five tournament games. Evans closed out the year the way he started it — quietly.
What set Evans apart was the work he puts in outside of shooting. Notably, his court and sideline celebrations were essential for keeping energy up during high-pressure games. His signature celebration was sure to get his teammates and crowd hype — a three covering his face using his thumb, forefinger and middle finger after a triple swishes in.
“I’m a huge energy player,” Evans said. “I’m not really a guy who can kind of be nonchalant and play at the same time…doing the little things like jumping up and down and showing teammates I’m happy for them…I think that goes a long way because, you know, it gives [the] guys confidence. It gives [the] guys energy.”
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Additionally, Evans’ resistance to foul trouble, with his only time tip-toeing the forced bench being against Illinois with four fouls, made him a reliable player who could rack up points throughout the whole game. The freshman is working on his defense and playmaking abilities to increase his versatility in close situations.
“[Evans has] grown so much this year. You know, the scoring and shooting. He's always had that, but to do it efficiently at this level, to defend, to understand rotations,” Scheyer said. “He's been in the gym at six in the morning, late at night, like he grinds. And he's obsessed with this.”
The Blue Devil faithful wait to see whether this obsession takes him to the portal, the next level or keeps him in Durham.
Read more about Evans' season:
- ‘SLIM REAPER’: Evans hits six triples in first half against No. 2 Auburn
- At Boston College: 16 points
- At Virginia: 17 points, three rebounds, two blocks
- At Madison Square Garden vs. Illinois: 17 points, two rebounds, two assists
- At Miami: 16 points
- vs. Florida State: 19 points, two rebounds
- With multiple Blue Devils sidelined, Duke men’s basketball’s supporting cast stepped up against Florida State
- vs. Georgia Tech in ACC quarterfinals: 14 points, two rebounds
- Take of the week: Isaiah Evans' shooting could be the final key for Duke men's basketball's championship aspirations