My NCAA Sophomore Crush: Rice’s Marcus Evans
Stephen Curry’s rise to NBA superstardom has been thrilling to witness and while his play is inexplicably energetic and exuberant, fans flock to him for one overarching reason; they think they can relate to him. He’s 6-3 and looks like a guy you might see at your local YMCA. He doesn’t sky over his opponents, but uses his supreme skill to outwit them and ultimately crush their souls 30-feet away from the hoop.
Similarly, I often find myself drawn to players I can seemingly relate to. Marcus Evans is 6-2, 190 pounds soaking wet. He does not have a formidable stature or strike you as someone to fear when he trots onto the hardwood. And yet it’s those unassuming qualities that really draw me in watching him play.
Evans attends Rice University. His freshman accolades are numerous as he was second in Conference USA in scoring (21.5), led the league in steals (2.2), steal percentage (3.7), was named to 1st Team All-Conference, took home a record nine Conference USA player of the week awards and ultimately earned Conference USA Player of the Year honors. Unfortunately, many people have no idea who he is.
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Marcus plays with an allure that screams “watch me, I’m great!”, yet it’s not an arrogant persona he portrays. He glides wistfully in and out of the paint, picking, and choosing when to strike, and once that decision is in play, it’s over for his opponent. His aggressive style keeps everyone on their toes. Slip up for a second and he’s by you, pulling up for a 15-footer and running back down the court as it leaves his hands because he even hears the nylon twinge before the rest of us.
He shot a crisp 47 percent from the field as a freshman and his constant pressure earned him just over seven (7.3) trips to the charity stripe every single night. Fans undersell how difficult it is to be the focal point on a struggling team. Opponents game plan specifically for Evans and yet he defies their sound strategies on a nightly basis. The toll that takes on a player is evident in a 32-game college marathon, and perhaps even more so when their team finishes a disappointing 12-20.
Since moving to Conference USA in 2005, Rice has only managed one winning season and Evans is on a mission to change the perception of this program altogether. Yes, he’s happy with the accolades, but he came to Rice to assert his will on Conference USA, and I believe he will do it.
Curry and Damian Lillard are the poster boys for mid-major success in the NBA and both are explosive guards who dominate by handling the basketball as if it were a yoyo. They prod, push, dance, cut, and crossover to their desired location and when they arrive the battle is already over. Placing that kind of added pressure on Marcus Evans is irrational, but I picture him watching guys like that and knowing in his mind he can reach that peak as well.
For now, he’s simply a shifty, sleek guard playing hoops for a traditional baseball powerhouse in Texas. But soon enough fans everywhere will gleefully watch as this unknown commodity steals their hearts on an unassuming March morning as people pretend to work, all the while taking in the Madness, and remembering what it feels like to crush over something new.
Get ready America, Marcus Evans has arrived.