Summer Runnin'
Tyreke Evans, a6'5" guard at American Christian in Aston, Pa., is Rivals' fifth-rankedrecruit of the class of 2008. In his second diary entry for SI, the juniorlooks forward to a busy summer of hoops as decision time approaches.
MY HIGH SCHOOLSEASON IS IN THE BOOKS, which means it's time to play some AAU ball. I loveAAU. The competition gets tougher, and the game opens up. High schoolbasketball is a lot like college, where they call a lot of plays and run a lotof half-court sets. AAU games are more up and down, a lot of fast-breaking.Last weekend my team, Team Final, played in a tournament in San Francisco, andthis weekend we're going to Atlanta. My team is also traveling to Paris and toJapan to play against local teams over there. And I'll be trying out for theunder-19 national team in June, so if I make that, I'll be playing in the worldchampionships this July in Serbia.
I'M ALSO GOING TOHIT THE BIG CAMPS THIS SUMMER—I'm really looking forward to the Kobe Bryantcamp in L.A.—and see how I stack up against the best in the country. Thecompetition at these camps is fierce. Everyone is looking around, wondering whothe best is and trying to show the world that they are.
RIGHT NOW SCHOOLIS WINDING DOWN. My favorite class is math. If I didn't have basketball, Ithink I would like to be an agent, to stay close to the sport. Aside fromschoolwork, I spend most of my free time in the gym. My older brother Reggie[he's 34] and I work out together, and we're trying to improve my defense—heattacks and forces me to work on my footwork. Reggie is a great player, but hecan't take me anymore. I'm the big brother now!
THE RECRUITINGPROCESS HAS HEATED UP. I have made a couple trips to schools, to Louisville andVillanova, but I'm not planning any more for a while. I just don't have thetime! Reggie has narrowed my list down to eight, and we're probably going tosit down and talk about it soon, but honestly I'm still not planning on makingany decisions on where to go until my AAU season ends in September. I will say,I was pretty impressed with those two schools. Coach [Jay] Wright at Villanovaand coach [Rick] Pitino at Louisville both made great pitches. Sometimes youhave to take what the coaches say with a grain of salt, though. They can tellyou whatever they want now about how big a role you will have on the team orhow many minutes you are going to play for them. But once you sign, they ownyou.
THE BIG GET BIGGER
THE WINNER of Ohio State's spring football game: theschool's offensive line. After attending the intrasquad clash, juniors MichaelBrewster of Edgewater High (Orlando) and J.B. Shugarts of Klein (Texas), bothamong Rivals' top 100 recruits, verbally committed to Ohio State. With6'7", 305-pound Mike Adams of Coffman (Dublin, Ohio) having committed inMarch, the school now has three top O-line prospects.
It fills a need: The Buckeyes signed only oneoffensive lineman on signing day in February. At 6'6", 295, Shugarts shouldplay tackle in college, as should the 6'5", 298-pound Brewster (left). SaysEdgewater coach Bill Gierke of Brewster, "He's got good lateral movementand has those long arms everyone wants." And that Ohio State got.
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DIANA ELIAZOV (EVANS)
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DIANA ELIAZOV
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BRADLEY LOGAN/ORLANDO SENTINEL (BREWSTER)