The University NewsA Student Voice of Saint Louis University Since 1921

vs. Duquesne University Dukes2/26/2011 Chaifetz Arena

GAME DAY

“ I’d like to build [the program] up and go to another NCAA tour-nament, and I think we will. I really do intend to stay here. ”

— Rick Majerus, Head Coach of Saint Louis Billikens on his future

Kyle Cassity, Junior, G

Saluting our troops

Brian Conklin, Junior, F

Cory Remekun, Sophomore, F

Vs.SAINT LOUIS DUQUESNE

R

“I thought our defense was keep-ing us in the game, even through we were throwing the ball all over the gym. ”

— Porter Moser, Associate Head Coach of Saint Louis Billikens on the team’s previ-ous performance against the Dukes

PPG

OPPONENT’s PPG

FG%

3 PT%

FT%

RPG

APG

Turnovers

63.2

62.8

.437

.320

.658

31.2

13.6

13.1

79.4

66.8

.462

.371

.620

35.7

18.4

13.2

SLU Billikens vs. Duquesne Dukes

Dwayne Evans has become a force on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball. He currently leads the team in rebounds and blocks. He has scored 230 points for the Billikens, shooting over 50 percent from the field. He is currently on a back-to-back double-double streak.

Ryan Giacomino / Photographer

Dwayne Evans: Diamond in the roughPaul Eckerle, RS Junior, G

“I personally am, and I know the Billiken Basketball team is, very grateful for the service of our armed men and women over-seas and are very grateful for their selfless gift.”

“It’s hard to imagine being 18 and going somewhere else and fighting, so it really makes me appreciate what they do.”

“I have a friend from kindergar-ten in the Navy, and I appreci-ate what he does and what all the troops do for us.”

“I have family friends who are over in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I’m really proud to know that they are over there fighting for their country and representing their country, and I appreciate all that they do.”

Ryan Giacomino / Photographer Ryan Giacomino / Photographer

“It seems like every time we come back [to the press room], we’re talk-ing about Dwayne.”

That was junior Kyle Cassity’s re-sponse to Dwayne Evans’ career-high 17 rebounds and 16 points against Chicago State, his fifth double-double overall, second straight and third in four games.

And Cassity is right; over the month of February, Billiken Basketball has become Dwayne’s world.

Consider the following: Evans is shooting 51 percent from the field (second best on the team to Brian Conklin), leads the team in rebounds (169) and blocks (17) and has accumu-lated 230 points thus far in the 2010-11 season. Only one freshman, Mike Mc-Call, has more.

Those numbers are exactly why head coach Rick Majerus brought the 6’5” forward to Midtown.

However, none of the Billiken coaches expected him to see so much floor time. Circumstances out of their control gave Evans the opportunity to shine, and he has not looked back.

Evans first caught the eye of asso-ciate head coach Porter Moser as a senior at Neuqua Valley in the Chica-goland area.

There, Evans was building a résu-mé, averaging a double-double with 16.9 points, 12 rebounds and 3.2 as-sists, along with 73 blocked shots and

61 steals. He set his school’s career rebounding record with 737 and fin-ished second all-time in scoring with 1,122 points, leading to an All-State mention.

Though Evans was given an offer by Northwestern, Moser knew he had found a hidden gem and was fast on the pursuit.

“He checked so many boxes for the kind of student-athlete we want to re-cruit here,” Moser said. “One, Dwayne always had a knack to rebound. He’s always around the ball, wherever it may be. Some people have that feel for where the ball will go. He’s long and athletic. I look at the Atlantic 10 Conference, and there are a lot of big guards in the league. I envisioned him being able to be a long guard in our league. He had the worth ethic, high character and is a great student.”

A commitment to the Billikens would also mean a commitment to a major change in Evans’ game. Maje-rus moved Evans’ from the 2-3 position to the 3-4, which meant more time as a power forward instead of the wing-guard as was intended.

While the transition was tough, Mo-ser says he is impressed with Evan’s growth.

“Things are starting to click for him,” Moser said. “Early on [in the season], you’re thinking so much, you know, ‘where do I have to be,’ ‘what’s my guy doing,’ ‘what was the scouting.’ He’s starting to know what we want defensively, and it’s becoming second

nature. Dwayne’s one of the best at ap-plying during the game what we gave him during practice.”

Moser explained that when Evans arrived at SLU, he did not charge up the lane like the coaches instructed. Instead, he bowed out, avoiding con-tact. Now, Moser says, the freshman is taking the contact, playing “bodying up-bodying in” style ball, getting to the rim and drawing fouls.

The statistics do not lie. Evans has taken 87 free throw shots (only Conk-lin has taken more); he has made 53 of them.

Majerus echoed Moser’s pleasure at Dwayne’s maturation following his team’s romping of Chicago State.

“Dwayne has really done a good job of understanding that criticism is con-structive, and you move forward by addressing those situations,” Majerus said. “He has a level of understanding that the other freshman haven’t found yet.”

For his hard work and quick adapta-tion, the Atlantic 10 Conference award-ed Evans the Freshman of the Week award for the week of Feb. 21-28.

Moser said he believes he might have found an All-Conference fresh-man, a diamond in the rough.

“He’s right up there with the best in the league,” Moser said. “He makes plays that get you the win, and I love guys like that. I love recruiting guys that can do different things to help you win a game. And I think people recog-nize the effort he gives.”

By DERRICK NEUNERAssociate Sports Editor