At this late point in his tenure as a starting forward for the Saint Louis University Billikens, Dwayne Evans has seen a little bit of everything: tough-to-stomach losses, school-record winning streaks, steady improvements to his own game...
In time, he’ll have a lot to think back on. But there’s not much room for self reflection at this stage. Only two regular season games remain before the Atlantic 10 conference tourney and the NCAA tournament.
On Sunday afternoon, Evans and the rest of the team took part in a lengthy meeting, which Evans said was about “saying the things that need to be said, addressing the issues of the last week, since we have two big games coming up.” It wasn’t a meeting for the faint of heart, with coaches giving direct feedback to the players, particularly the five starting seniors.
This Wednesday, Evans and the rest of SLU's senior-laden crew will be back on the court. They’ll be attempting to rebound from two straight losses after a stunning, 19-game winning streak. Evans feels as if he can help revive things, with an “I’ve got this” attitude that’s been there since his earliest days. He’ll be doing it with a sore hip, compliments of a spill during Saturday’s tough road loss to Virginia Commonwealth University. It’s a contusion that he says “is alright. I got banged up over the course of the game. I’ll be fine to play on Wednesday.”
The Billikens' two losses have come with some of the regulars struggling. One could see this as a negative. The positive is that the same group won 25 games this year by employing a business-like approach to every game. Evans is looking to regain that steadied vibe.
His practice sparring partner for the past three seasons, junior forward Grandy Glaze, says, “It’s a long season, and things don’t always go your way. [Evans has] been in attack mode; he’s not been timid. Sometimes, a lid goes on the rim. But we all know that he’s a great rebounder. With the spots he goes into down low, he gets banged up a ton. He’s always playing hurt, in a sense. He’s always going hard to the basket, always going to the free throw line. There’s probably not a game in which he’s been 100 percent. But he’s always sucked it up, and he’s been able to go on to a long, successful career. He’ll find his way through it. He’s tough.”
Tanner Bronson, one of the Billikens’ assistant coaches, agrees with Glaze’s sentiments, suggesting that Evans’ work ethic is second to none on a team of high achievers.
“I think Dwayne wants to be successful in everything he does,” Bronson says. “His persistence at getting better has made him a really good player, a first-team all-conference player last year. He’s really physically and emotionally giving a lot to the game of basketball, but also to his schoolwork and his family. That’s kind of unique to Dwayne, his persistence in everything he does. He’s an excellent student. He’s right on the border of being an academic all-American. Even when he came in from high school, he took everything in life very seriously. He’s good in the community. He went to the Ivory Coast with an Athletes in Action team this past summer, doing things that played to his sense of community involvement, his spirituality, things like that. Dwayne’s very friendly to kids; he’s outstanding to the other students on campus. In a lot of basketball programs, you hear of stories that are negative. But with Dwayne, no matter what happens, you always feel comfortable that he’s going to be in the right situation, and he’ll lead others in the same direction.”
To some degree, folks around the program say this whole starting senior class is comprised of solid citizens. To win against the University of Dayton on Wednesday is key in making sure the post-game senior-night speeches are imbued with a positive energy. Even as the Billikens are looking to get back on track, the significance of the night won’t be lost on the team.
“I’m sure some of the seniors will think about it at times,” Bronson says. “It’s a unique group in that they’ve approached it one game at a time. ‘Do the next right thing’ is our motto. But I think when they get here to Chaifetz, they’ll know it’s the last game at home. With this group, in particular, they’ve done it all together. The five of them have started many games, and they’ve been through a lot in their careers. The finality of the final game can be tough. They’ll think about that this week, and it’ll be emotional. It should be. Our success is because of our senior class, and it’s something they should be proud of. Very, very few teams start five seniors—I’m told only three. Everyone talks about freshmen and the college game getting younger, and here we’re having success with the older guys.”
Told that Evans was fairly restrained in discussing the night, Bronson says, “I’m not surprised that they don’t want to talk about it. That’s just their nature. I think it will be an emotional night, no question.”
A SECOND PERSPECTIVE
Evans has experienced three senior nights since he arrived at SLU. To see the seniors' reactions, he says, “is something special. There’s always one player who gets more emotional than you might think. It’s intense. There’s always one guy you don’t expect to cry, but they do. It’s interesting to watch the different guys.”
Senior wing Jake Barnett, who transferred into the program after a single season in Toledo, isn’t as reticent in discussing senior night. “Senior night is always something special,” he says. “It’s all of our last games on the home court. You try to not put too much pressure onto it, but you want to get the win. It’s an emotional time, the last time you’ll play at home in front of the fans who’ve supported us for four years. And every time there’s a senior who gives a talk after the game, who’ll be the one guy to break down, mostly because the fans are cheering. It’s one of the last times in our life when 10,000 people are clapping and congratulating. They’re appreciating you for what you’ve done at the university, and seeing [seniors] enjoy that and respond to it is always inspiring.”
After leading his Toledo team in scoring as a freshman, Barnett transferred to SLU, spending a year as a redshirt, then another as a bit player in the late Rick Majerus’ last year as the Billikens' coach. With Jim Crews in that role now, Barnett’s game has resurfaced as a rotation player last year and as a five-point-a-game starter this year. His addition to the starting lineup corresponded with the team’s long win streak, even if Barnett’s role is often limited to being the ultimate complementary, or “glue,” player.
Just as impressive is that he’s taken every opportunity that has come his way at SLU. In May, he’ll graduate with an MBA, after taking full loads every semester, including summer sessions. He’s engaged to Billiken women’s team starter Desirae Ball, a redshirt junior. And he’s widely regarded as the player who grew closest to the family of the late Joshua Brown. (Nine-year-old Brown spent last season as a de facto member of the team, before succumbing to the lingering effects of a brain tumor on June 2, 2013.) While it’s basketball that led Barnett to SLU, life has presented him with both challenges and opportunities since then. “Most definitely, Joshua’s situation put everything into perspective,” Barnett says. “Playing games and winning games is very important, but not as important as life and death. His situation was one that I’d never wish upon anyone. But every day, I thank the Lord that he was there as an example to me. He’s helped me in my walk and my faith. I look to his family for encouragement and keep close with everyone in it.
“Transferring was something I never planned to do when I went to college,” Barnett continues. "I was looking for the best opportunity for me, and I’m so happy to have found my home at SLU. It’s been a great opportunity. I met my future wife here. I got to play with a great group of guys. I have a ton of friends, all over the city. It doesn’t always work for guys, but for me it’s been nice. It’s paid dividends.”
Most observers would assume Barnett’s days of serious, competitive basketball will end soon. But there’s still a whole world of possibilities out there. “I’m just grinding it out—I’m not worried about the next step," Barnett says. "After the season’s over, I’ll focus on that more. Right now, I’m having fun playing for my team, and hopefully we’ll be playing another month and a half.”
STRONG FINISH
Like Barnett, Evans has a way with scholastics. “My parents and family have always kept on top of me and my schoolwork,” he says. But he's also focused on taking the next step in basketball. Since his freshman year, he says, “I’ve really tried to improve every part of my game: ball-handling, outside shooting, decision-making.” This season, he’s the team’s second-leading scorer, trailing Jordair Jett by a mere two points, while leading the team in rebounding for a fourth-straight season.
As someone who works against him daily, Glaze says, “I think he’s definitely become a better perimeter player. When I first met him, he was already a good post player, really good on the inside. He’s added a lot, with his ball-handling and a pull-up jump shot. He’s doing a better job defensively when he has to guard twos and threes. That’s what makes him valuable to us: his versatility, his improvement on the offensive end and the defensive end.”
Bronson has an interesting view on the topic of post-SLU ball. He’s a coach, sure. But like assistant coach Calbert Cheany, Bronson suits up for scout-team duty during team practices. In doing so, he sees the potential and places where improvement can still occur. “Dwayne was recruited out of high school as a four—a big man,” Bronson says. “He played a lot in the low block, but had some perimeter skills. As a freshman, he was more comfortable there, and we played him down low a lot. As time’s gone by, particularly in the last year, we’ll have him down low or on the perimeter. He can guard both. He’s a very versatile player who’s worked hard on his game. He’s dedicated and hard-working and wants to do really well. Down the stretch last year, he was a very tough matchup for a lot of teams. Basically, he was our go-to guy throughout the tournaments. This year, he’s kinda the guy we’ve been able to move to different places. So he’s a unique player, a so-called ‘undersized big man.’ But he’s also a big wing. Dwayne’s embraced that role.
“If he does want to go professional,” Bronson adds, “all of that’s what has made him successful. He understands the fact that you have to do what you do very well while you try to improve your weaknesses. Dwayne, as he goes on, probably has to be the best defender on the court, all the time. If he wants to play beyond here, that’s important. After this season’s over, I think he’ll have an idea of what he wants. He’s got a pretty good sense of the big picture.”
In the meantime, there’s still work to be done on the collegiate level. It starts on Wednesday night at 8 p.m., when SLU faces the Dayton Flyers at Chaifetz Arena. It’s a night that Glaze calls “a very special night.” On one hand, he says, “there’s no extra pressure. It’s like any other game. We’re not just seniors; we’re a whole basketball team, from the starters to the walk-ons to the coaching staff. We all have our role. and we have to perform it well.”
But pressed on the subject, the effervescent Glaze, who will enjoy his own senior night a year from now, says, “I intend to see the five seniors go out on top. They’re who and what this night’s all about.”
