Duke 5-star SF commit Isaiah Evans reaffirms pledge to Blue Devils

Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils are rolling on the recruiting trail. The ACC powerhouse added to its top-ranked 2024 recruiting class on Saturday, as Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI Catholic four-star center Patrick Ngongba became the fifth prospect to join the fold.

Of the five pledges, four are top-25 overall recruits, including Montverde (Fla.) Academy Five-Star Plus+ forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 player in the cycle, as well Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg five-star forward Isaiah Evans, the No. 11 recruit and No. 5 SF.

Recruiting never stops until pen meets paper, however. While the Blue Devils are on pace to finish with an elite quintet of prospects set to head to Durham, other top programs will do what they can to try and flip any and every blue-chipper they can get their hands on.

On Sunday, Evans took to social media to maintain his commitment to Scheyer and Duke:

5⭐️ Isaiah Evans silences rumors that he’s decommiting from Duke: https://t.co/VqUCTeXTcI

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) November 5, 2023

Duke “spoke for itself” to Evans

Evans committed to Duke back on April 27, choosing the Blue Devils while also holding offers from the likes of Kansas, NC State, Tennessee, Texas, Auburn and Florida State. His pledge came soon after his official visit in Durham, which helped seal the deal on his decision.

“I liked how they went in-depth with how they were going to use me,” Evans told On3. “They showed me certain games with certain players with how I would fit into their system. I watched a lot of their games this season like I do with all the schools recruiting me. I’d look for in the game the plays they showed me of how I would fit. I was into it.

“I like Coach (Jon) Scheyer. He lets his players play, gives them freedom, and he has been around Duke basketball for a long time. I think he is a good coach, and I have a high opinion of him. After the visit, I was playing through in my mind who they compared me to, like Brandon Ingram and Mark Mitchell. The long guards and wings they have had that can put it on the floor and shoot it.

“Duke is Duke, and there is no getting around that. If you grew up around basketball, it speaks for itself.”

Evans has an On3 NIL Valuation of $308K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Isaiah Evans Scouting Summary

“Isaiah Evans is a lengthy prospect, all arms and legs right now. He moves fluidly and is comfortable handling the ball in the open floor. He is good in the passing lanes; his length and anticipation help deflections. Evans is very thin and will need to continue adding weight. The jump shot comes across his face and is inconsistent. Good off-ball cutter seems to have a high basketball IQ. Inconsistent in creating in the half-court, re-tooling the jump shot will also help here. He has a lot of tools and a natural basketball IQ; he also competes and does a lot of the little things.”