Photo credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports
Future Duke Basketball Wing Ignores Pain, Ignites in Crunch Time
As Jon Scheyer's Duke basketball squad was squandering its chances at ACC Tournament success via Thursday night's uninspired display in a loss to NC State in Washington, D.C., a future Blue Devil was heating up inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Isaiah Evans, one of two McDonald's All-Americans in Duke's six-deep, top-ranked 2024 recruiting class and coming off a 48-point effort against reigning champion Myers Park in the quarterfinals of the 4A state playoffs, willed No. 5 seed North Meck to a 65-61 overtime win over No. 2 seed Lake Norman.
Sure, his 30 points, which were more than double the total of any other player on the court, required 32 shots from the field. However, the 6-foot-6, 170-pound five-star's heroics in regulation and the extra session were enough to advance the Vikings (29-3) to play No. 1 seed New Hanover (32-0) for all the marbles at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
He scored four points in a 12-second span to force overtime. And in overtime, Evans, No. 14 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, delivered another late four-point flurry, including a pair of clutch makes at the charity stripe to seal the victory.
That's not to mention a splash from 30 feet out in the closing seconds of the first half. He added 11 rebounds, three assists, five steals, and two blocks.
The Charlotte Observer's Langston Wertz Jr. summed up Isaiah Evans' perseverant performance:
"Evans played all 36 minutes Thursday, often bending over during breaks and suffering through some serious lower back pain at one point. But, late in the game, with the season hanging in the balance, he made championship play after championship play."
This summer, Evans will arrive in Durham alongside fellow McDonald's All-American Cooper Flagg, a five-star forward who ranks No. 1 in the cycle, plus five-star forward Kon Knueppel, five-star center Khaman Maluach, five-star center Patrick Ngongba II, and four-star forward Darren Harris.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball recruiting news.