Division II Caldwell University’s Men’s basketball point guard Melvin Evans is on the cusp of reaching the 1,000-point college basketball career milestone, just three points shy of the watershed college hoops moment.
But Evans said he is more concerned with winning rather than hitting the magical mark, as those magical three points is pretty much a given at this point as the team faces Bridgeport tomorrow night at home.
“Winning, that’s the goal,” said Evans, whose Cougars currently sit at 10-12 overall and are in playoff contention with six contests remaining on their schedule. “That’s the most important part. I’m going to do what I need to do to help us get there.”
Do not get Evans wrong, however, as he has envisioned himself achieving this accomplishment even before the season got underway.
“I had a few goals set from the summertime, and this was one of them,” said the senior who attended Monsignor Scanlan High School in the Bronx. “For me, personally, I feel I have played one of my best seasons yet.”
And his numbers back up his statement. This year, Evans is averaging 16.5 points per game–6th best in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC); 4.4 assists per game==4th in CACC; and 2.0 steals per game–4th in the CACC.
Moreover, Evans said he is the first person in his immediate family to attend college, making his time at Caldwell University special and count big time, pulling a 3.2-3.3 GPA, in addition to all his special basketball accolades.
“It means a lot to me, being the first generation to go to college,” he said of him finishing college and scoring 1,000 points. “It wasn’t a goal of mine coming into college, nor the main focus when I first started playing. But I’m verry happy to be close to it.”
As for his hardwood and classroom accomplishments, he has earned the CACC Player of the Week of December 22, is a four-time CACC Weekly Honor Roll student, had scored a career-high 30 points against Jefferson on January 10, and has drained 20-plus points six times this season.
But Evans said has set a huge goal beyond this season: he aspires to play professional hoops overseas after graduation.
“It has been a goal of mine to since I’ve been a kid,” the former Our Savior Lutheran/Wiz Kidz AAU player said. “I’ve been preparing for it for a long time. I feel like I have a lot of good people in my corner. I’m not going to worry. I’m going to trust in God and get to where I want to go.”
And do not count out Evans, as the Cougar scratches his way to basketball success.
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–Jerry Del Priore
Photos: Caldwell University’s Athletic/Media Department.
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