Cowboys’ Evans declares for draft
Jawun Evans, a First-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2016-17, declared for the NBA Draft on Tuesday, announcing he intends to forego his final two years of eligibility.
STILLWATER Jawun Evans made news Tuesday, announcing he was entering the 2017 NBA Draft.
Don’t, however, attach Evans’ decision to Brad Underwood’s departure from Oklahoma State, as the move has long been expected within the program.
Those close to the team held that Evans would have declared for the draft a year ago, if not for the shoulder injury that ended his season midway through the Big 12 schedule. A declaration for the NBA was fully expected this season, too, evidenced by Underwood’s recruiting efforts, which left the Cowboys two scholarships over the NCAA limit for the 2017-18 roster.
So even with Evans’ announcement, OSU must still trim another player from the roster – as currently constructed – before next season.
If there’s real news to draw from Evans’ decision, it’s whether or not he’s hired an agent, which would prevent the option of him returning to the Cowboys if he’s not satisfied with his draft grade.
Tuesday, there were conflictingreportsonthatissue, with ESPN first reporting that Evans had hired an agent, while OSU sources maintained that Evans had yet to do so. Should Evans not hire and agent and go through the evaluation process, he’d have until June 12 to withdraw from the draft.
Currently, Evans is projected as the No. 27 pick, the back end of the first round, by draftexpress.com. It’s considered a strong draft for point guards, with six projected ahead of Evans by draftexpress.com.
Only first-round selections are guaranteed money and roster spots.
Evans’ potential availability to the Cowboys could impact the interest of some candidates in OSU’s job search, as he would be an appealing piece on a roster that loses just two seniors. A First Team AllBig 12 pick, he averaged 19.2 points and 6.4 assists per game this season. Down the stretch, he was superb, averaging 22.8 points and 9.1 assists over his final eight games.
Friday in Indianapolis, where the Cowboys lost to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament, Evans suggested a return to Stillwater, saying, “Most likely, I’ll be back.”
Still, most considered him to at least submit for a draft evaluation.
Tuesday, in a statement to ESPN, Evans sounded very different.
“I am going to enter the 2017 NBA Draft,” he reportedly said in a text message to ESPN reporter Jeff Goodman. “I want to Thank Everyone at OSU. This was a tough decision. OSU will forever be in my heart.”