Old Isaiah Evans quote gives Cameron Crazies hope for another season

Just a few months ago, SLAM Magazine released an online cover of Duke Blue Devils sophomore guard Isaiah Evans.

In the article, he talked about everything from his decision to initially enter the NBA Draft last year and coming back to Duke to what he eats in an average meal.

One part of the story, which came back to the forefront of Blue Devil fans' minds after the season wrapped up, featured Evans discussing his tendency to stay loyal to people and places.

“[Loyalty] has been a huge part of my journey,” Isaiah said to SLAM. “Staying loyal to people who take care of you, and then just staying loyal to the process and to the grind. That’s what goes into most of my decision-making when it comes to my life… I feel like I get the best results that way.”

Isaiah Evans' loyalty could bring him back to Duke again

Now, this is nowhere near a guarantee that Evans will suit up in a Duke uniform for another season, but as he mulls over the decision between entering his name for the 2026 NBA Draft or coming back to Durham for a third year, loyalty will clearly play a huge role.

When he decided to come back to Duke after initially entering the 2025 NBA Draft, Evans shared that he felt as though he had "a lot of unfinished business" and "had a lot more to prove and a lot more to offer."

Last year, Duke was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the Final Four, and Evans felt like there was more work to be done. Well, this year, the Blue Devils only made it to the Elite Eight before being defeated by the UConn Huskies.

So, based on history and leaning into his loyalty, fans could rightfully and understandably hope that Evans would return to Durham for a third season with Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils.