Oklahoma State sophomore point guard Jawun Evans will declare for the NBA Draft and intends to stay in it.
“I am going to enter the 2017 NBA Draft,” he told ESPN. “I want to Thank Everyone at OSU. This was a tough decision. OSU will forever be in my heart.”
In Oklahoma State’s 92-91 loss to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Evans went for 23 points on 10-for-26 shooting with 12 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers. In a thrilling battle of point guards, Michigan and Derrick Walton Jr. came out on top. Walton Jr. went for 26 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds for the Wolverines, who shot a blistering 16-of-29 from deep, including 11-of-15 in the second half. Following the game, Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood left to take the Illinois job. Evans is projected as the No 35 pick in the NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com and is considered a borderline first-round pick. There are five or six point guards who would likely go ahead of him, including Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Dennis Smith Jr. and De’Aaron Fox. “He is just not that quick or athletic enough for a small point guard,” one NBA scout said of Evans. “He is a backup NBA point guard at best but not good enough to be a starting NBA point guard.” Said a second scout: “Evans is very quick with a great handle, puts pressure on defenses but there’s a always a concern with smaller point guards and their ability to get their shots off cleanly at the next level.” (AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)