When asked to pick out the best player on American Christian (PA) at the Prime Time Shootout, the choice is easy: Lamont Jones. Yet, when asked to select the bast player on the Eagles overall, the choice might be even easer: guard Tyreke Evans. The 6'6 senior is considered one of the best players in the nation, and he is a McDonald's All-American. Tyreke's lackluster performance was due to a bad ankle, which even caused him to sit out the team's Sunday game against South Kent (CT). Evans is generally regarded as the top uncommitted and unsigned senior in the nation. After his squad knocked off Rancocas Valley (NJ), a game in which he was held to a single digit point total, I was able to take a few minutes and talk with Evans.
NB: So you guys . . . had a tough game today. The first half, they were really sticking with you guys. You switched to . . . point guard in the second half. How was that able to help out the team?
TE: It helped out a lot. [I] just did a good job of getting my teammates involved. My shot wasn’t falling, so I just distributed the rock, [to] make other players better.
NB: Coach [Tony Bergeron] mentioned that your ankle was hurting. Do you know when you’ll be back, and how did you hurt that?
TE: I hurt it in practice two days ago [2/7]. I’m not really supposed to be playing right now, but I told him I didn’t want to lose any more games. I’d rather . . . lose when I’m on the floor, so I just risked it and played.
NB: Are there any goals you have [for] the rest of your senior season, with this being your last year of high school?
TE: Not really, just let the high school season go well, and hopefully at the end, I’ll make my decision [about college].
NB: What about personally and team-wise? Maybe a championship? What do you want to accomplish with the team here?
TE: Definitely, I want to win the national, the prep championship. That’s our goal, for Coach and me. He said he wants one, he’s never had one, he’s depending on me to get one, and I’m going to try to get him one.
NB: How did you choose to come to American Christian? . . . What made American Christian an appealing school for you to come to? What was the deciding factor for you to come here?
TE: It was close to home, I just stayed at home.
Evans did not display much at the Prime Time Shootout, which almost certainly had something to do with his ankle injury. He did demonstrate a nasty crossover that, on two good ankles, is probably quite helpful in geting him to the hoop, to say the least. Evans has been a major name in recruiting since his sophomore year, when he was widely considered the best player in the class of 2008. Tyreke's stock has dropped some since then, but whatever schools he lands at will be getting a high-quality guard with great playmaking ability, and a tough kid willing to play through pain.
Note- photo is from http://www.draftexpress.com/
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