One could say similar things about Isaiah Evans. State was rumored to offer Isaiah $2 million. Don't know if Duke had to match that, but they certainly had to pony up a significant amount, which they wouldn't have done if they didn't expect him to be a starter, more likely a star.
Duke Men’s 2025-26 discussion
- Thread starter goFurman
- Start date
I didn't even say your name once this time. Someone is going to have to help with the rules on this one.
Joking aside, I think the current environment makes it very challenging for a Greg Paulus trajectory to happen. After the season, I semi-expected Caleb and Darren to move on (especially Darren). I thought both had very poor seasons (for different reasons). The fact that both are still on the roster says more to me about their future prospects than their prior season(s).
Monmouth77
Member
Why are Taylor King and Andre Dawkins the best comps for Isaiah Evans? I assume you are looking at role and minutes played (and 3 point %), but I don't feel like those players are very good points of comparison.
Dawkins was smaller and less athletic and was not known even in high school as a prospect with a high motor, or the kind of length, athleticism and versatility that characterizes Evans. He was pretty much always a role player and depended entirely on off ball action to get him open for catch and shoot threes. Then he had some significant off-court issues that clearly seemed to impede his progress as a player.
King seems like an even worse comp, with way worse athletic measurables and basically no ballhandling skills who did not have the kind of success Evans has already enjoyed at Duke and ended up having to transfer to progressively less competitive environments.
Experts view Evans as a first round draft prospect next year. He can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot-- even if that shot is a long jumper. To my eyes, he's got potential as a defender. He's a plus athlete in transition and showed that a few times last year. He is just so much smoother, more athletic, and more intense than King and Dawkins. I really don't think those are very good comps at all.
I am not sure he will be our second leading scorer, but I think All-ACC is more likely than Taylor King's sophomore campaign.
SkyBrickey
Member
Yes, I expect Isaiah to be a starter too. And his freshman year was very similar to Andre Dawkins and Taylor King's seasons at Duke. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Nuance.
Why would you expect that? Neither Andre Dawkins nor Taylor King started as sophomores. Could it be it's because despite some statistical similarity in their freshman seasons, Dawkins and King aren't great comps for Evans? Either that or the statistical similarity isn't very meaningful in this case?
Is that enough nuance for you?
sagegrouse
Member
I think everyone liked Andre (Baylor!) , but he had some emotional baggage that developed after his sister's death. He even sat out a year. Taylor King had more baggage than a mile-long caravan of camels.
"Running the numbers" vs. Isaiah in these two cases seems dubious.
SkyBrickey
Member
I've posted the data that shows Evans freshman year was very, very similar to Dawkins and King's seasons at Duke. His shot mix, his shooting accuracy. Those three stand apart from all our other freshman sharpshooters like Redick, Kennard, Trent Jr, Knueppel, ...
I've posted game highlights from Dawkins where he is clearly moving, shooting, scoring just like Isaiah.
And I've asked multiple times for somebody to give a better Duke comp for Isaiah's freshman year than Dawkins. Crickets.
I think Evans will be a better player. I expect him to start. But there's just no denying that he had a very Andre Dawkins-esque freshman season.
SkyBrickey
Member
I've consistently posted that I expect Evans to be a better player in a Duke uniform than Dawkins. Consistently.
I'll consider posting a Kedsy-trigger-warning on future Isaiah posts because you seem mighty offended in me pointing out that Evan's freshman season was very similar to Dawkins and King's seasons.
Who is your better Duke comp for Isaiah? Let's hear it.
Also, it's not like Dawkins had a bad sophomore season. 21mpg. Started 7 games but had POY Nolan Smith and Seth Curry in front of him. 43% from 3. 5th leading scorer at 8ppg. Will Isaiah surpass that? I expect he will score more.
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I’ve already opined that there are no great (or even good) Duke comps for Isaiah Evans. I’ve also acknowledged that the game clips you posted were similar, but that Andre only did that in a few games (including the one you posted) while Isaiah seems to do it most of the time. If Andre had played all the time like he did in that Michigan State game, perhaps your comp might be meaningful.
But none of that offends me. What offends me is that every time anybody says anything good about Isaiah Evans, you persistently argue against it using the same meaningless comps. And every time someone has the gall to suggest Caleb Foster may not be the starting, primary PG, you argue against them like they’re crazy.
But what really offends me is you calling me psychotic, using passive-aggressive “humor” like “Kedsy-trigger-warning,” and your condescending use of “Nuance.”
You chided someone (not me) for not letting go of their disagreement with the Dawkins comp, but you Never. Let it. Go. You’re entitled to your opinion. Others are entitled to disagree. Deal with it.
SkyBrickey
Member
So you don't have a better comp. And your feelings are hurt. Got it.
Yes I'm higher on Caleb than you. And yes you're higher on Isaiah than me. You've said you don't expect junior-year Caleb to start. I've said I expect Isaiah to start. But somehow I'm being overly negative of Isaiah? You see how that might be viewed as a bit hypocritical?
You dismiss the Dawkins MSU highlights as not indicative of his play but offer nothing else. The stats say that Evans and Dawkins launch a very similar number of 3s and make a very similar number. The challenge with guys shooting 75-80% of their shots from 3 is you get these spectacular games like Dawkins against MSU and Evans against Auburn, but you also get a bunch of duds. A dud game in a single elimination tourney can end your season.
If Isaiah is going to have a special season, he will have to up his number of 2-pt shots from 19% to something more like 35-40% (inline with other great Duke guard scorers). Can he do it? We'll find out.
Slacker Mills
Member
Evans brings 40-41 percent three-ball percentage. Seems like both Boozers, Kharmenia and Sarr could do that as well. Therefore, the question becomes which of the five brings more to the table than just three-point shooting?
SkyBrickey
Member
Caleb Foster also shot 40% from 3 in high school and in his freshman year. And Harris was known as one of the top distance shooters in his class. There's lots of shooting on this team.
I'm most curious about Khamenia's shooting. If he can hit 40% from 3, it will be tough to keep him off the court the way he stuffs the stat sheet.
SkyBrickey
Member
Slim pickings out there on Khamenia's shooting stats but he is 7-17 from 3 (41%) in the current U19 tourney. Encouraging.
Indoor66
Well-known member
Why must he have a comp? He's running the I. Evans race. We just get to enjoy sharing the journey with him.
I think he was annoyed more by the condescending tone. I don’t think your comparisons matter. I watched all 3 players and I do not consider there to be similarities that would be meaningful for determining Evan’s future performance. So I don’t see the point in the discussion. But if you’re enjoying yourself please do carry on.
SkyBrickey
Member
The only response I've gotten to my question, "Ok then, who is a better Duke player comp for Isaiah than Andre Dawkins?" is the following:
"Isaiah has no player comps."
Actually, not true, someone compared Isaiah to Brandon Ingram upthread and their games are nothing alike...
There's nothing left to debate here. We will all find out in November when Isaiah takes the court. I hope he is closer to sophomore Redick than sophomore Dawkins.
I don’t agree with this.
I think you are comparing players from different eras. Players from as recently as 10 years ago who only shot 20% of their shots from 2 point range likely Couldn’t effectively shoot more inside three point range. Players from the modern era may be shooting fewer two pointers because they Shouldn’t.
Today, a two point shot that isn’t at the rim is a bad shot. I think our players are smart enough to know that taking a shot your coaches don’t want you to take is not the way to get more playing time.
SkyBrickey
Member
Interesting. So what's a player comp of a star player or even just a starter on any of the 79 P5 teams this past season who only shot 20-25% of their shots as 2-pointers? Isaiah only shot 19% 2-pointers. If your point is true, it shouldn't be too hard to find a handful that shot 20-25%.
Grok just told me that Kon, Tre Johnson, Walter Clayton Jr, and Koby Brea were the top 3-point shooters in the draft. Maybe one of those guys?