Duke basketball freshman continues to perform in hopes to crack rotation

Duke basketball freshman Isaiah Evans has struggled to get on the floor in big games for Duke so far in his freshman season. The #15 overall recruit in the 2024 class by ESPN could bring a big spark to the offense, but his opportunities have been limited.

Evans has played double digit minutes in two games this season, and has played well and showed flashes of excellence in his limited time.

In 12 minutes of action against Wofford, Evans finished with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three point range to go along with a rebound and an assist. In 17 minutes off the bench against Seattle, Evans tallied 9 points on 2-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

Evans came into the Duke program as an elite shooter, arguably the best in his class. Through the preseason, he put that on display in practice and exhibitions with his catch-and-shoot ability.

This Blue Devils team has been possibly the best defensive squad in the country, so to get minutes, head coach Jon Scheyer is going to need to see defensive prowess from his guys.

His stats won't jump off the sheet due to his limited action, but I've seen good defense from Evans in the time he's been given. His 6' 6" lanky frame makes him a good matchup on smaller guards on the perimeter with his quickness and athletic ability.

Granted, Evans has only seen time in Duke's "buy games." The five-star didn't see the court in either of the Blue Devils' losses against #8 Kentucky or #1 Kansas.

With another big matchup looming for the Blue Devils as they will host #4 Auburn, a team that's looked better than any in the country so far this season, it will be interesting to monitor if Scheyer throws Evans onto the floor with Duke's shooting inconsistencies in its tough matchups so far this season.

The Blue Devils shot the three at a solid clip against the Jayhawks, going 11-of-26 (42.3%), but the team's best shooter was ice cold as Kon Knueppel went 0-of-8 from three. Against Kentucky, Duke shot 4-of-24 from three (16.7%). Outside of Tyrese Proctor who is shooting 50% from beyond the arc, no Blue Devil who has taken 20 or more three point shots this season is shooting over 33% from three.

Duke has potential to be one of the best three point shooting teams in the country. Knueppel will figure it out, Caleb Foster is a better shooter than his numbers have shown, it can be expected that Cooper Flagg continues to get better in every facet of the game given his limitless potential, and Mason Gillis shot 47% from three last year on 3 attempts a night.

As Duke relies on its elite defense, it's looking like that won't be enough. The Blue Devils defended well against the Wildcats, and it was even better against the Jayhawks, but both games resulted in losses with shooting struggles in the second half.

This is where Evans can fit into the offense perfectly. 18 of Evans' 21 shots he's taken this season have been from beyond the arc, and he's ready to shoot it the second he sees a bit of daylight.

Although his shooting percentage isn't off the charts, he never shies away from a catch-and-shoot opportunity and could be a perfect spark for the offense off the bench if the Blue Devils find themselves in an offensive rut.

Scheyer has also praised Evans' work ethic, saying how he's earned the right to play.

With an intense contest on the horizon against the gritty Auburn Tigers, who very well could be the #1 team in the country come Monday, potential playing time for Evans could be something Scheyer integrates into the scheme with his defense and ability to get red hot from three at any point.