Why 4-star shooting guard Amari Evans committed to Rick Barnes, Tennessee
Amari Evans saw the coach he wanted to play for in Rick Barnes. That’s why the four-star shooting guard committed to Tennessee Friday night, picking the Vols over Pitt and Xavier to become Barnes’ second commitment in the 2025 class.
“Coach Rick Barnes is a hard-nosed coach,” Evans told On3’s Joe Tipton. “He’s one of the few Hall-of-Fame coaches left. There’s not very many of them. That stood out. He’s just a winning guy with a great personality.”
Evans is a 6-foot-5, 204-pound four-star prospect in the class of 2025 out of Pittsburgh, Pa. He’s ranked as the No. 83 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 23 shooting guard in the country and the No. 12 overall player in Georgia, where he plays in the Overtime Elite prep league.
‘If you’re going to hold your best player to that standard, that’s a testament to what you do’
Evans took an official visit to Tennessee in August and had an unofficial visit with the Vols back in January.
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“I went to a game last year,” Evans said, “and he was hard on Dalton Knecht. I watched him take him right out of the game, no hesitation. So I feel like if you’re going to hold your best player to that standard, that’s a testament to what you do for the rest of your team.”
Tennessee received its first commitment in the 2025 class from four-star center Dewayne Brown back in April. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound prospect out of Hoover, Alabama. He’s ranked No. 101 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking and is the No. 8 center in the country and the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama.
Evans explained what the Vols are getting in the their second commitment in the class.
“A hard player, amazing defender,” he said, “love my teammates, and will do anything to win.”
On3 Scouting Report — Amari Evans
Amari Evans has a good basketball frame with nice length and broad shoulders. He has nice positional size as a complimentary guard. Evans is a capable shooter with range beyond the arc. He is a solid secondary ball handler, able to restart possessions and get the ball where it needs to go. He can also defend at the point of attack or off the ball, being aggressive in the passing lanes. Consistency is the next step for Evans as he continues forward, that should be helped by finding a defined role for himself. A strong guard with flashes of dribbling, shooting, and passing has value in today’s game.
