The Colonial Athletic Association almost ran out of awards during George Evans’ career at George Mason because he basically won all of them. In addition to joining David Robinson as the only 2 players in CAA history to be named conference POY on 3 separate occasions, he was also named 1st-team all-conference 3 times, conference DPOY 2 times, and CAA ROY in 1998. Additionally, he is 1 of a handful of college superstars to finish his career with 200+ STL/200+ AST/200+ BLK including legends such as Danny Manning/Lionel Simmons/Shane Battier. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with George about serving in the Army during the Persian Gulf War and playing pro basketball overseas. Today is George’s 52nd birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
Before enrolling at George Mason you served several years in the Army, including a tour of duty in the Persian Gulf War: why did you choose to join the Army, and what did you learn from war that has helped you in life? I joined the Army because I had to do something to help my family out. The Army taught me about discipline/respect and to not take anything for granted, which translated well to the basketball court.
Your nickname at GMU was “Sarge”: who gave you that nickname, and how did you like it? 1 of my teammates gave me the nickname. I did not really like it because I wanted to close that chapter of my life. It was already tough enough to be 26 years old and starting college but I took it in stride.
You were recruited by Paul Westhead but played for Jim Larranaga: what did you like about each of them as coaches? Westhead was all about winning a championship. His game was fast-paced and the up-and-down tempo appealed to me. Larranaga showed interest in me even after Westhead was fired and was always there to support/show faith in me.
You were named to the All-CAA team 4 times and the All-CAA defensive team 3 times: how were you able to come in and contribute as a freshman, and how were you able to continue to dominate throughout the rest of your college career? It was a culture shock when I 1st started. There was an incident where several players got suspended so I got to jump in and play from the start. Once I built that confidence and continued to work with the coaches I got better and better.
In November of 1999 you scored a career-high 37 PTS in an 8-PT loss at Toledo: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? We were a defensive team but would create opportunities when we ran. That day I found myself with the good luck of getting open shots: once you get going it is hard for anyone to stop you.
What are your memories of the 1999 NCAA tourney (you went scoreless on 0-6 FG in a loss to Cincinnati)? Coming from a small conference and playing against a big-time team with guys like Kenyon Martin/Steve Logan in front of 19,000 people: it was overwhelming for us.
In the 2001 NCAA tourney you scored a tourney-school-record 27 PTS/10-15 FG but Tremaine Price’s bounce pass went through your legs with 6 seconds left in a 3-PT loss to Maryland: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? It was definitely the worst loss of my career. Steve Blake was guarding the pass and tipped the ball so I could not get my hands on it. We played a great game against a great team but came up just short.
You and David Robinson are the only 2 players to be named CAA POY 3 straight years: do you feel like you are 1 of the best players in the history of the CAA? That is for other people to decide but it is nice to be mentioned in the same breath as a player like Robinson. I was just thankful to get an education and play basketball.
In the spring of 2001 you were the 1st overall pick of the Maryland Mustangs in the USBL draft: were you thrilled to be picked #1, or unhappy that you were not drafted by an NBA team, or other? It was an opportunity for me to continue my basketball career: my mother taught me never to take any opportunity for granted. I knew that it would be hard to make the NBA due to my age so I have no regrets.
You later played pro basketball in Belgium/Germany for a decade: what did you learn from the experience, and how did it compare to college basketball? There are some different rules and the crowds are more feisty. It is also a livelihood so it is important to view it as a job: if you play bad in college then you just head home and go to class the next day. I loved playing abroad and would love to stay involved even at the coaching level.