Mark Bennett: Brian Evans remembers recruitment, influence by Knight

Nov. 15—A legend of college basketball came to Brian Evans' high school to watch the tall, smooth-shooting Terre Haute South standout practice in the fall of 1990.

And, there was a chance Indiana Hoosiers coach Bob Knight might be interested in recruiting Evans.

As Evans sat with Knight in then-South coach Pat Rady's office, the teenager marveled at the moment.

"I was like, 'If it doesn't go any farther than this, this is the coolest thing that's ever happened,'" Evans recalled this month in a phone interview after Knight's passing on Nov. 1 at age 83.

Of course, it did go farther. It's an epic Indiana basketball story.

Knight indeed offered an IU scholarship to Evans, who then spent five seasons — including his redshirt freshman year — as a Hoosier. Evans helped the Hoosiers win 90 of 127 games during his four active seasons, won the Big Ten Player of the Year award as a senior, got drafted by the Orlando Magic in the NBA draft's first round, played several pro seasons in the NBA and overseas and got inducted into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

"That's all because of him," Evans said of Knight.

Knight indeed came to Terre Haute to see Evans in a somewhat ragged practice session. Several regular Braves players were still playing with the South football team and weren't available, so some newcomers joined the workout. Rady and his friend Ron Felling, Knight's longtime assistant and a native of Terre Haute, had both lobbied Knight to recruit Evans. Knight, though, had an eye on other forwards besides the 6-foot-8 Evans.

Once those recruits Knight sought had committed elsewhere, he agreed to make the trip to Terre Haute.

Obviously, Knight liked what he saw in Evans, whose leading contender as a college destination at that point was the University of Evansville. Interest in Evans had heightened after his AAU summer team, also featuring future Hoosier Alan Henderson, won a national title.

After visiting Evans' workout at South, the General invited the kid and his dad to Bloomington that weekend to attend an IU football game. Evans and his late father, Keith, weren't sure what was in store for Brian, but were thrilled by the opportunity, including a walk through Assembly Hall.

"We were just like two kids in a candy store," Evans recalled. "We couldn't believe we were in there and really didn't see what was coming."

Then they met with Knight himself. He didn't outright ask Evans to commit to IU.

Instead, Knight said, "Indiana University doesn't want Brian Evans playing anywhere else. What do you think?" Evans said he was almost frozen, but answered, "Yes sir."

Knight then told the 17-year-old, "This'll be the hardest ---damn thing you'll ever do. What do you think of that?" Again, Evans answered, "Yes, sir."

Their meeting came to an end, and Brian and his dad drove back to Terre Haute, excited but a bit unsure.

During the drive, his dad said, "Is that like an official commitment?" They thought so, but weren't sure.

Once back in Terre Haute, Brian told a close friend, "You're not going to believe this — I think I just committed to IU." His friend responded with an expression of disbelief. Evans said, "Yeah, but I don't know."

That Monday, Rady pulled Brian out of a class momentarily to tell him that Felling — the IU assistant coach — was sending out the official paperwork for Evans' commitment to the Hoosiers program. The surprised Rady asked Evans, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Evans answered, "I didn't know."

Evans continues to be thankful for the support Rady and Felling gave him. "Without them, I would've never gotten to Indiana."

For years afterward, when asked to retell how he managed to recruit Evans, Knight usually summed it up as "a half a tank of gas to Terre Haute. There's your story."

For Evans, playing at IU was a dream come true. "I really believe [Knight] liked that about me," Evans said. "He really hated kissing young guys' butts to get them to play and he didn't have to do that with me."

What a find Evans proved to be for Knight's program. After leading South to the Indiana high school Final Four, Evans got better, stronger and craftier season after season at IU. Through his first season as a redshirt, Knight assigned Evans to defend IU great Calbert Cheaney — who became the Wooden and Naismith National Player of the Year — in practices.

"I just learned a lot during that season," Evans said.

His scoring, rebounding and assists totals climbed every year. By his senior season, Evans averaged 21.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. The Big Ten Conference chose him as its Player of the Year. Only three Hoosier players have won that award since Evans got it 27 years ago.

Evans played through a chronic shoulder injury and the brace on his right shoulder became a familiar sight to IU fans. Once the team doctors told Evans the injury wouldn't worsen and his shoulder would, regardless, pop out of its socket occasionally, he approached it as business as usual. His tenacity further bonded Evans with Knight.

"I think I earned some stripes with him during that time, because he loved it if you could play hurt," Evans said.

He came to see Knight as "an absolute basketball genius. Just being around him, his knowledge of the game was so deep."

In recent years, Evans made visits to his coach's home as Knight's health declined and Evans remains close with Knight's widow Karen and son Pat, a former IU teammate. "[Coach Knight] obviously meant a lot to me, not just in my playing career but in my life," Evans said.

When Evans' mother died, "he was the first person that called my phone."

Once when Evans was playing for the Magic in Orlando, Knight arranged for his former player to meet his friend and baseball legend Ted Williams. Evans had to ask the NBA team's general manager for permission to miss a practice to do so. "[The GM] was like, 'Can I go too?'" Evans recalled, laughing.

Today, Evans is now 50 and a businessman in Carmel, where he and his wife have raised a family of four children. The three oldest — their daughters — play volleyball, one at Marian University, another a high school senior committed to play at Butler, and a ninth-grader playing on her school's varsity team. Their 12-year-old son plays basketball, but has other interests too.

Wherever Evans goes, regardless of the location, he's often asked about his days at IU with Knight.

"I don't ever get tired of talking about him," he said.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.