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Barry Evans said he knew he could be a pretty good basketball player by the time he was in just third or fourth grade. And the growth spurt that hit six years later certainly cemented that early belief in himself.
“I played with the Baltimore Stars and I always played up and against high-level guys when I was younger,” he said. “That really made me think that this was something I could do, and do well. And what really, really made me feel like that…my freshman year I was 5-foot, 9-inches, then my sophomore year I was 6-4. That just gave me confidence on a whole other level.”
Evans now stands 6-8 and he is on the precipice of big things on the court. The Baltimore native announced in mid-June that he will do a postgrad year at PSA.
“My main goal is to help the team win and in the process come out of there with high-major offers and get to the next level,” he said. “I feel like I have a good relationship already with the coaches. I’m looking forward to getting up there and doing my part.”
The Mustangs got turned on to Evans, who will turn 19 in September, after he got his first Division II offer from Slippery Rock. Evans said the Rocks recruited him hard, but they knew he wasn’t a D-II player, so the coaching staff reached out to PSA to see if there could be a spot for him to continue getting the exposure he needed.
Those who have watched Barry closely say he can finish through contact with both hands, can put the ball on the floor, and has made terrific strides in both his skill level and athleticism over the past year.
“We are very excited to have Barry join our program,” said Mustangs coach Tom Espinosa. “He’s extremely versatile on both ends of the floor (Evans had one game this past season when he had eight offensive rebounds and five blocked shots while playing point guard). “He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and still has a lot to prove. Those are the kids we love to recruit, and those are the kids we are very successful with.”
By Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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