Kenny Payne, Danny Manning can develop big star

Louisville men’s basketball associate head coach, Danny Manning, shared an interesting fact with me about many 7-footers: a lot of them actually wish they were shorter. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves by being taller than everyone else. The insecurities that come with their height often impact their performance on the court. These players make themselves smaller to fit in, resulting in a lack of presence that doesn’t match their enormous frames.

Manning understands this firsthand, having grown to 6-foot-10 himself. He had a remarkable college basketball career, leading Kansas to the 1988 national title and earning a place in the Hall of Fame. Manning’s personal experience allows him to address this issue effectively, which is why freshman Dennis Evans won’t face the same problem.

Evans, a 7-1 center from Riverside, California, has the potential to have a standout rookie season that makes people forget about Trentyn Flowers. He was ranked as the third-best center in the Class of 2023 according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Despite his slim build and the need to gain strength like most first-year players, Evans already possesses a natural presence on the court that many players his size usually lack at this stage in their careers.

At the Red and White intrasquad scrimmage last week, Evans amazed fans with five blocked shots. Last season, the University of Louisville lacked a rim protector, leading to a low ranking in blocked shots per game and field-goal percentage defense in the ACC. Evans, with his impressive wingspan of 7-7, goes after shots aggressively, making a significant impact on the defensive end. U of L guard Skyy Clark even mentioned having to adjust his lob passes when Evans is present on defense, showcasing Evans’ defensive prowess.

Manning has successfully developed players like John Collins at Wake Forest, transforming them from unheralded recruits to first-round NBA draft picks. Evans shares the same potential, if not more, than Collins did. He is already more advanced in his development than Collins was at the same stage. Evans’s hunger for knowledge and willingness to learn is evident in his approach to practices.

Manning has been guiding Evans outside of regular practice sessions, providing him with valuable advice and instruction. U of L coach Kenny Payne, who played a significant role in the development of players like Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns during his time as an assistant at Kentucky, is pushing Evans to become an all-around player. Payne wants Evans to improve his lateral quickness, defense on the perimeter, and offensive versatility by being able to step outside the lane.

Building Evans into a force on the court will be a challenging task. As a physically weaker player, he will likely face foul trouble against more mature and agile opponents in the ACC. U of L big men Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Emmanuel Okorafor will support Evans’s development by taking on some of the more challenging matchups.

Payne firmly believes that once Evans absorbs all the knowledge and skills he is being taught, he will become a game-changer for the Louisville Cardinals. Payne is pushing Evans to reach his full potential and change the dynamics of the basketball team.

Evans has already taken the first step towards this transformation. He is learning to embrace his size and play like a true big on the court.

For more Louisville basketball content, stay updated with sports columnist C.L. Brown. You can reach him at [email protected], follow him on Twitter at @CLBrownHoops, and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to ensure you never miss one of his insightful columns.

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Olivia Wilson

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