KJ Live - Dennis Evans

basketball prospects in the world. He hails from Riverside, California, stands around seven ft two, attends Hill Chris High School in the Inland Empire, and next season he will be joining coach Ben Johnson in the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball program. Let's welcome in Dennis Evans to the show. What's happening, Dennis? Not much? How's everything going? Man? You have you have practice today? How did that go? I want really? Will? Yeah? What sort of stuff is

coach Jack's coach would? Right? Yeah? Is coach would putting you guys through? I know we're in November. I'm sure the season is about to start and kick off. What are some of the stuff that you guys have been doing in practice and what are some of your goals as far as going into your senior year? Wrong this time during podcast we're making sure that everyone knows sets, some plays and you know what to do in different

situations and all that. And my goal for my senior years just hopefully once if CIF before I leave and do as much as possible to get everyone around me better. Man. That's a great goal, man. I want to c I F championships defeated modern day uh and both of them to go to the States. So I know that feeling, man, And that's the heck of a goal. And with your skill set, your ability to really control and patrol the painted area and dominate on that side, man, it's gonna

be tough for people to beat you. Guys. Man, I want to back up a little bit, man, I want to find out sort of the beginnings and the foundation of of which Dennis Evans was built up. Where are you from the Riverside area originally? Yeah? I was. I was born around here, moved up to victor Ville for a few years, and then came back down when the team to high school. Yeah, did you play like growing up when you was a youngster? Did you play other sports?

And were you always a hooper? I didn't really play too many sports growing up, you know. I got into sports when I got into middle school, because you know, that's my first time seeing you know, and what made you fall in level the game? Like who was your favorite player around that time? Growing up? Around that time? First growing up, I was watching like a lot of really old footage. So first few players I've seen it was like a team Kareem and those players, and I

really like the way they played. What what are some of the things that you really enjoyed about a team Elijah one, because he's one of the greats of the game. Incredible footwork, my man. What what was some of the stuff you observed a by the key? Well, I started to pick up too much offensively, but first thing I did see it was his defensive presence. You know, his always wanted to go after a shot and really good at being there to block it and get it out

the way. Yeah. And so I'm sure you're pretty tall in middle school. How tall were you like around the eighth grade? Eighth grade, I was about six seven six seven, And at that time, were you playing primarily on the inside or where your coach is kind of trying to put some skills in you to make you have that nice, sweet jumper that you've got today, I'll primarily play inside, you know, clean up job, trying to get to the rim as much as possible. Yeah, yeah, that sounds about right. Man.

When you look at where you were in the eighth grade and you look at where you are now, like, what do you think when you think back to that? Do you feel a sense of satisfaction? Or is it like jobs not finished like Kobe says, or what's your mentality? I feel like it's definitely been a really good progression, but there's definitely somewhere else to go. I mean, seeing how far up coming this little amount of time makes

me wonder how far I could Yeah? Absolutely. I mean the how do you handle all the sort of the success and the adulation. I mean, you shot up the rankings. I believe you're ranked somewhere around the one forty something one fifty. The shot up to top twenty, like in less in a couple of sessions of playing. How do you handle that new found notoriety and how do you stay grounded and keep the main thing the main thing?

You know? I always think about, you know, a long term success, and I think about the short term, because the short term could come and go as quickly as it came. Wow? Wow, So where do you get that sort of big picture that's a mature way of thinking this? And you're still sixteen? Or did you turn seventeen yet? I turned seventeen? Okay, okay, So when did you turn seventeen? I was like July towards the beginning of summer, like

you around the middle. Wow, So you just turned seventeen and you're already focused and locked into the long long term. Do you have mentors, parents or I know you your parents are or in your life heavily. Do you have people that you count on to keep you grounded and keep you on the right path. I definitely. My AU coach is one of them, always telling me, like when I was really bad at bousketball, that there's always a bigger picture to it and just continue to keep working

and keep getting better. Absolutely. And when the college coaches started calling Dennis and they started, you know, sending letters and getting the calls from the house, how was that process for you as far as your recruitment? What things did you look for in a college basketball coaching staff,

in a college basketball program. I definitely was looking for a program that was gonna, you know, give me an opportunity to give me a chance to showcase the fact that I belong there and then I'm gonna get better at everything that I uh do. Who were some of the like finalists that you had in contention for your services?

My two finance was Minnesota and TCU. And what put Minnesota over the top versus TCU Because I know Jamie Dixon, I know Coach Broussard down there, and that's that's a good program, that's a good staff, They've got some stuff going on. What made Minnesota so attractive for you? Den? I felt like it would be an easier option to come in and just put in the work and continue

to get better. You know, if there's always gonna be expectations, but you know, just having that expectation here will definitely help me improve my game and continue to focus on what's the main goal is instead of the turn to other things. Yeah, that and you're going into the Big Ten Conference. Minnesota plays the likes of Michigan State in Michigan and Indiana and Purdue in Illinois. I mean, did

that excite you? The allure of playing sort of out of state and these like story programs for US West Coast guys because we usually see them on ESPN. It's definitely an exciting thing for me, you know, being able to come in and play against those some programs like that, and it's definitely gonna be you know, benefits with some improvement. Are you excited about, uh reuniting with your former teammate

Jaden Henley up there. It's definitely gonna be exciting things to me, you know, being able to play with alongside him again. Yeah, man, you guys should do some good things. But you guys are really, really, really talented, and there's nothing like that camaraderie to help with the chemistry. Dentist, If you're I asked one of your teammates right now, I say, what type of teammate is Dennis Evans? What

would they what would they describe you as? They will describe me as a really good teammate, you know, someone who's always looking to try to push someone to go a little bit further and make a few more shots and trying to run a little bit harder. Yeah, okay, okay, And so you push guys in practice? Are you first

in sprints? Are you? Are you vocal? In practice? You seem like a quiet leader, I describe your style for me, I am one quietly trying to beat everybody in sprints and all that, and call people out when they are messing up for something, or help somebody else if they're messing up on them play. I'm not too welcal with the offensive vent and something I'm still working on, but a defensive vent. I'll really speak up to the guys, let them know what they need to do and everything,

make sure that we're all together. Yeah, talking and communicating is essential, especially for for for somebody like yourself. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live. When you played your A U season, I saw you stepping out, I saw you being on the floor and the perimeter. Um, I've seen you hit threes. I've seen you, you know, do some

stuff out there. How much part, I mean, how much of that part of your game do you work on and how much of it is an emphasis? It's definitely something I'm starting to work on a lot more, especially with the way the game to play is played nowadays. You know, I'm still working on developing inside outside skills.

But how good outside i Q as well as inside post work were really good because if they start to double b outside or inside, I could step outside and also look be able to look and make the reason cuts that it's necessary being a weekler as well. So now you sound like you you're a student of the game. You study the game a lot, dentist, Yeah, YouTube film

or you in film sessions with coach. I mean, what's your process when you're trying to learn and and really just you know, develop more and get a little better on that side of things. You know, it's definitely like, yeah, watching film, watching old games and all that, and also watching some of the you know, some some of the film from other players and all that, seeing how they move, how they react to things. That's a smart thing to do. Man,

you should watch as much film as you can. That's how you that's in mimic, you know, and try to copy off of those guys, because at your side, your frame and if you're able to, you know, mimic some of those movements and some of those things. I mean, the sky is absolutely delimited. You won a gold medal for the Team USA under eighteen team in Spain. What did you learn about yourself during that trip? I learned

a lot about myself, you know. I learned that um a voluable I said, you know, as a player, not only in my little team, but also you know nationally, I proved some value and also help me learn a lot more about myself being in that type of situation outside of the country. You know, don't speak the same language as everybody else. Yeah, No, it's always an interesting experience when you're international. I got the chance to play in the Middle East and Russia and Turkey and all

over the world. But the one common theme, uh, the game of basketball. They spoke the language of basketball. Man, It's spoken everywhere. Uh. In't that cool though? When you when you see someone that's thousand miles away and they're kind of have the same swag or they're on the court doing stuff, You're just like that, Man, where do

you get that from? It's definitely something you know, exciting to see, you know, uh, seeing what other players do while you're out there, seeing the different things that they pick up with their game, definitely something different. Did you get close with any of your teammates? You still keep in contact with any of those guys, anybody you know you cool with. I talked to a few of the guys on the team. You know, we don't talk a whole lot because you know, we're go to different schools,

a little bit harder to communicate. Well, I've definitely spoke with a few of them. That's we're going on. Yeah, I want to find some some things out about you on the off the court stuff. As far as your academic goals, I'm very interested in that. Man. What is it? What's your favorite subject in school and what do you plan on majoring in at Minnesota. My favorite subject in school right now is definitely math. I find it a lot easier to deal with numbers. What what are you as?

Statistics are? Calculus? And me? What what bath class are? Year? Bro? I'm in I'm in stats right now. Stats is killer. So how you doing in it? I'm doing pretty well? Yeah? Alright, but pretty well? What's that? A B plus A minus the C? Talk to them. I haven't gotten lower than a nine D on the test yet. Oh okay, alright, alright, what are you gonna major in college? Uh? Probably major

economics or business. Okay, okay, And let's say twenty years down the line, after twenty five years down the line, after you've you know, hooped and you're you've hung it all up, what do you envision yourself doing with your business or economics degree after basketball? I definitely want to, you know, continue to make some connections and hopefully have enough going from either way. I can still you know, assist in the game of basketball. Yeah. Yeah, that's that's

that's the player. Man. Let's stay today. Let's talk a little bit about what you envisioned your role at Minnesota and what you're short your short term and long term goals are for college. I know when I went to school, I wanted to win a championship. We got lucky and won a national championship my first year. Now, with your addition, there's no question the Golden Golfers can be a contender. Now,

winning a championship is a hard thing to do. Is that something that you think about, Dennis, that's definitely the gold of course, it's always gonna be the golden pushtion to go as far as possible. Absolutely, always shoot for the stars. Man, Uh, that's dope. Who's your favorite NBA player? Every NBA player, Yeah, i'd said, Joel. Why why you like his game. That's the way he's been able to change the adopter being a low post player to be

an inside outside th Yeah. Now, his his development on both sides, on the side of the game has been It's been amazing to see he does stuff out there. Now. I'm just like that where he get that at I could see some similarities there. I could see you being able to do it. You're what side you you are? I saw somewhere you had on some seventeen crops, some seven teens and some crops and something may called you

out on TV? Was that true? Yeah? Oh? Man, So you gotta get custom shoes or like, what's your favorite pair of shoes? If you could pick one pair of shoes that you you could wear every day for the rest of your life, Bro, which ones would it be? That's hard? Dang one pair of shoes. There's my pair. Like, if I'm going for own court style, going Kyris, okay, okay, off court, of course, I'm usually gonna go with something a little bit more comfortable. Yeah, okay, yeah me too.

I'm I'm the same way. I got some ugs with the fur in them, man, that I just love. I mean that comfort is you know that comforts a well when you hoop and you're all your feet. People got that don't hoop. They don't understand what it's like for us, bro. They don't understand what the what the hoopers go through. But take care of those feet, man, take care of

those puppies. Um. As far as like the number one thing you you say you can improve upon, this as far as your game on the basketball, for something you think about, something you work hard towards every single day, what is it? I was definitely building the offensive edge. My defense is out of my offense right now. And if I can get them leveled out and continue to both you know, keep them both going, obviously something that

I'll really helped me. Do you have like a go to move that you the one move that you love more than others? I mean, I'm not trying to give everybody the scout a report on your game, So if you don't feel comfortable telling everybody right now, that's cool. But because I noticed you got one time I saw you cat you did a shimmy A yah yah y'all. And then the pivot I see you like the up and under pivot game. Is that stuff that you like

to do a lot well. At first my goal to move was the hook shop, but after the first year I realized that it's gonna have to go to the up and under. So they pretty much changes each year. Yeah, it seems like because the defenders are trying to beat you in the air and get you know, jumped before you do, so they always go go for that pumping because everybody's trying to jump quick because they know they're

gonna get banged on if they don't. Something else that does about you too, man, When you blocking shots, Man, I see you always talking to dude, not talking, but kind of giving them the little scalt. What is that from? Man? Is it? Are you hyped at that moment or what's up with that? I'm definitely hyped to them over. Yes, you know, I find a lot of fun blocking shots, and it's definitely something that I've always been really good at and eventually I started showing a bit of motion

with it. No, man, it's a great thing to see. Man. That fire, that passion shows that you know you're taking this this defensive thing seriously. I saw you block three four shots in the road and just doing the same thing. I was like, Okay, he's ready. He's ready. He's gonna need that energy in the Big ten conference. Um. Then there's a couple more questions. Man, then I'm gonna let you go. I kind of wanted to find out what is it in your life? I don't know. It might

be spiritually, it might be you know, your parents. What keeps you like locked in on a daily basis? All it say, it's my love for the game and my family. Yeah, families everything, man, Families inspirationals, motivational man. Family and love will help you get up when you don't really want to get up and do the things that that you don't feel like doing, and you gotta do it. And whatever it is that you've been doing, young man, continue to do it. UM. Is an honor to have you

on the show. Man. We'll be looking forward to watching you play at Minnesota UM, and excuse me this year. I'm looking forward to seeing you play and then in the future at Minnesota. UM. Thank you so much for joining the show, Dennis. We appreciate you. Got any shoutouts you wanted to give, bro I got no shout out. Thank you for inviting me here. You know, tremendous opportunity. Absolutely thank you for coming on, ladies and gentlemen. Dennis Evans