HESHIMU EVANS - UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

Heshimu means "warrior", and Heshimu Evans certainly fit that description during his career at Kentucky.

Whether it was starting or coming off of the bench, Evans always provided a huge amount of energy and effort, and was a key part of some very successful teams at UK.
Evans started his career at Manhattan before his days at UK, and was a big-time performer at the MAAC school. As a freshman, Evans was the conference's freshman of the year, and was a key player on the Jasper's team that upset Oklahoma in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament. After another solid sophomore season as the leading scorer on a less-talented team, Evans decided to transfer from Manhattan after Fran Frascilla left the program to take the St. John's job.

Calling around, Evans was accepted as a transfer to Kentucky and sat out the 1996-97 season. However, that's not to say he wasn't heard from during that redshirt year. Practicing with the team, Evans raised plenty of eyebrows among observers for his tenacious play in practice, especially against future NBAers Derek Anderson and Ron Mercer. When his junior year rolled around, Evans settled into the role of the team's 6th man. Evans provided instant energy and defense off of the bench, and he certainly came to play each and every night.

It was his two 3-pt shots in the early stages of the second half against Duke in the NCAA regional final that helped spark UK's improbable comeback in that game. As a senior, Evans stepped into the starting lineup and looked like an absolute All-American in the early season, putting up big-time numbers, especially against Maryland.

Being a warrior, you can bet Evans excels at rebounding and defense. He crashes the boards hard, especially the offensive glass. Defensively, Evans is capable of being a "stopper", and has versatility in that he could guard anybody from a power forward to a point guard on the collegiate level. Offensively, Evans is a tough player inside and has range out to the college 3-pt line. He also is a solid passer and has a decent handle. Evans, of course, is being labeled a "tweener" between the guard and forward positions. At 6'6", he is likely a little short for the NBA . There is no questioning Evans' desire, as he does come to play each and every night, and will always make things happen on the court, whether it be crashing the boards against larger opponents, or diving for loose balls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzqQBzmAzRw