But tacking on 15 points to your scoring average when it was already a very respectable 12 per game? That just doesn't happen very often in high school.
But there haven't been many cases like the one of Goddard Eisenhower junior Trevon Evans. Is he the benefactor of special circumstances? Yes. Eisenhower graduated Zach Bush, a 22.8 point scorer last season and now playing at Wichita State, opening up 17 shots a game and a void to carry the scoring load. Evans has become "The Man" this season at Eisenhower, but let's take a little bit deeper look at just how this came about.
Evans is off to an incredible start to his junior season, leading Eisenhower to a 12-1 record and No. 3 ranking in Class 5A behind averages of 27.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals. This is a direct result of good, old-fashioned hard work becoming a gym rat during the off-season. Evans spent nearly his entire summer working out, training and playing the game. Now he's reaping the benefits of all those hours.
Let's take a closer look at Evans and find out exactly how he has transformed into such a prolific scorer.
Before we get started, let's begin with taking a look at Evans' sophomore season where he played second fiddle to Bush but still received a healthy amount of shots to his junior season where he is in control of Eisenhower's offense. The graphic below shows Evans' percentages are up across the board.
So Evans is shooting better, which is a good start to a breakout season. But that doesn't explain the whole story behind his increase in scoring. It also comes down to shot selection. I talked to Eisenhower coach Steve Blue and he agreed, Evans is a more mature player this season. All of that training has turned Evans into an explosive athlete and one with the core strength that can handle physical defenders now. "He's not getting knocked off the ball anymore," Blue said. "No one can body him up anymore."
A bigger, stronger Evans means more high-percentage shots at the rim. After being pushed around last season, which forced him to settle for more 3-pointers, Evans is now taking better shots. Blue said he has nearly perfected the 15-foot pull-up jumper, a la Russell Westbrook. "I think he trusts his game a lot more and has a lot more confidence in himself this year," Blue said. "He knows what shots he needs to be taking for our team to succeed and that's part of his maturation process."
How that has translated into his game is obvious when you break down the numbers. Let's take a look at just how much his shot selection has improved this season in the graphic below.
So better shots, better percentages equal more points. Let's take one last look at the numbers in pie chart form again just to show in visual form where Evans is scoring his points. Keep in mind that 2-point shots and free throws are the highest percentage shots in the game and notice how Evans has exploded in those two areas this season.
Two more relevant stats that I like to look at while evaluating a player is what is called Effective Field Goal percentage and True Shooting percentage. They are two advanced metrics stats used in the NBA that give a clearer picture of just how effective a player is. Effective Field Goal percentage, or eFG%, is a weighted efficiency that give 3-point shots more value. Evans has a eFG% of 48.5%, which is right around the average for a successful NBA player. And his True Shooting percentage, which is also a weighted efficiency but includes free throws as well, is 56.0%, which is well above the NBA average.
I hope you were able to appreciate the story behind the numbers to Evans' breakout season. I know Blue, Eisenhower and its fans sure are. I think the junior has proved that this start to the season is no fluke. His average has dipped some as the season has progressed, but that's to be expected. I mean 27.2 points is still an insane amount.
Not only has this put Evans on the map, but it has kept Eisenhower, a 2nd year school, relevant and once again among the top challengers for the Class 5A crown. It's even surprised Blue, who figured Eisenhower would be competitive - but not dominant like this. A large reason why is because of Evans. "I think our expectations have changed a little bit because of how he's played this season," Blue said. "We had no idea Trevon was capable of this. We hoped maybe he would maybe his senior year, but this all has been a very pleasant surprise. So now we have a few new goals for ourselves."
What kind of new goals? Blue wouldn't share, but one thing is for sure: Evans will be the one that takes the Tigers there.
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