NBA Prospect Preview: Jacob Evans of Cincinnati
Jacob Evans came into his junior year at University of Cincinnati with some 1st round draft pick buzz. That buzz maintained as the 20 year old Bearcat helped to lead Cincinnati to a 31-5 record and a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament in 2017-18.
The prototypical shooting guard stands at 6’5.5” and 200 pounds with a 6’9.25” wingspan per his NBA Combine measurements. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native averaged 13.5 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists a game with 42.7/37.0/75.4 shooting splits his junior season. Evans also became one of just 28 players in the NCAA last season to record at least 35 blocks and 35 steals in the season. That defensive prowess is the key to understanding the value of Jacob Evans.
The Goods:
Jacob Evans has intrigued NBA scouts so much because of his potential to thrive in the white whale role of the 3-and-D player. Evans finished his Cincinnati career with 37% shooting from beyond the arc on 4.4 attempts a game. Via Will Schreefer and The Stepien’s shot tracking chart, Jacob Evans shot 40.2% on all NBA range threes as well. His career 75.5% free throw shooting also indicates decent consistency with his shooting motion.