UNLV basketball recruit James Evans looking like the ideal wing

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Saturday, June 29, 2024 | 2 a.m.

Recruiting the high school ranks has become a tricky proposition in the NIL era. Coaches can fill roster holes with veteran transfers from the portal and reap immediate rewards, so there is less patience for spending years recruiting and developing prep prospects (who may or may not ever turn into productive players).

So what does that mean for someone like James Evans, who was UNLV’s first prep commit in the Class of 2024?

The optimistic reading is that Kevin Kruger and his staff believe in Evans, a 3-star recruit, and think he will become an impact player down the line.

It’s not a bad bet. After watching video of a couple of Evans’ games at West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.) last year, he clearly has the measurables and natural talent to intrigue Division I coaches.

The first thing that stands out about Evans is his physical profile. He is listed at 6-foot-6, and he has a long, lean frame that looks like it was designed in a basketball laboratory. It’s an ideal build for a wing, and Evans has the athleticism to go with it.

As for production, Evans averaged 19.6 points per game and shot 35.7% from 3-point range as a senior. And unlike most Top 150 recruits, who are the unquestioned focal points on their high-school teams, Evans played alongside a ball-dominant point guard, so he wasn’t eating up possessions at the rate of a normal prep star.

To that end, I didn’t see a lot of shake-and-bake isolation drives while watching Evans. He usually got his touches within the framework of the offense, working off the ball to find open looks. West Ranch liked to feed him in the midpost or with dribble handoffs, and when Evans drove, he usually took a straight line to the rim, relying on his long strides to turn the corner:

When given a clear runway, Evans can get vertical and finish above the rim with creativity. His long strides allow defenders an opportunity to slide under him to try and draw charges, however. That didn’t work much at the high-school level, but college defenders might have more success getting that call.

The majority of Evans’ offensive output came via the jump shot. He gets great elevation and shows a nice feel for creating space for off-the-dribble attempts, using his length to shoot over opponents with ease.

He’s most comfortable in the midrange area, which is kind of a throwback. Most college coaches won’t want him shooting 16-footers, including Kruger, but that’s part of player development. Evans’ 3-point stroke was more erratic and less feathery than his middies:

Mechanically, Evans has a little bit of a “fling” to his motion, but I’m no shot doctor. What’s important is making them, and Evans made enough in high school to project him as a competent shooter going forward if he puts in the work and cultivates better shot selection.

Evans’ physical gifts stand out in the open floor. When he grabs the ball and begins moving up the court, his long strides and natural bounciness make it look like he’s gliding.

He covers a lot of ground in transition with few dribbles, and when he gets the angle on the final defender, he has a knack for scoring through contact:

It’s a nice offensive package, if a bit raw.

Defensively, there’s less to go on. It’s difficult to judge many high-school prospects on the defensive end, just due to the way the game is played at that level. For instance, West Ranch spent much of its time in a zone defense, with Evans on the baseline or under the basket due to his height (he was often the tallest player on the court). He’s not going to be playing that role in college, so that tape doesn’t help a lot.

On the occasions he was asked to play man-to-man, he did an adequate job. Evans’ best skill seems to be getting his hands on the ball and racking up deflections:

You can see why Evans is a highly regarded prospect (247 Sports rates him as the No. 140 player in the nation in the Class of 2024). He’s got all the physical tools, including a body made for Division I, and that jumper/finishing combo could be lethal in a 6-foot-6 wing. A decent comparison would be former UNLV wing Nick Blake, another swingman who came with ideal measurables and a raw-but-majorly-intriguing skillset.

But Evans is going to have to refine his game at both ends of the court in order to be an impact player at UNLV, with more man defense and fewer midrange shots. These days, a lot of college coaches would rather find a ready-made player in the portal than work to develop a youngster like Evans.

Kruger must see something he likes. If Evans hits, the payoff could be big.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.