Tyreke Evans

Tyreke Evans

Point Guard/Shooting Guard

Memphis Tigers

6'5"

205

Freshman

Tyreke Evans was one of only two players at the March 26 2008 McDonald's All American Game that hadn't made a college decision. A player of his considerable talent, available that late in the recruiting cycle, will always be a hot commodity -- but Evans' 21-point, 10-rebound performance against the best high school seniors in the country won him the MVP trophy and sent his stock soaring.

That gave him the opportunity to showcase one of his many NBA-ready skills...

Negotiation.

Evans had offers from most of the top schools in the country, but settled on Memphis. The Tigers are a great fit... John Calipari's high-octane system is a good match for Evans' slashing style and solid-but-streaky outside touch, and they had openings in the backcourt after losing Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts to the NBA Draft. But Evans was rightfully concerned about the future of the program; Calipari was in the mix for several open NBA jobs. So he held off on finalizing his commitment until his future coach finalized a contract extension.

I pity the first team that has to negotiate a NBA contract with this kid...

That first contract could come very quickly. With the departures of Rose and Douglas-Roberts, Evans has an excellent opportunity to contribute right away.

To rise to the level of his Tiger predecessors he'll need to overcome some issues that are common to superstar high school athletes: occasional lack of focus, lazy defense, and physical bulk. Maturity -- and good coaching -- will help with the first two, and an aggressive strength program with the third.

If he proves he can keep his head in the game and continue to excel at the college level, Evans could be another one-and-done. Early projections for the 2009 NBA Draft rate him as a late first-round pick.