A powerful 1-2 punch has the Salpointe Catholic basketball team off to its best start under head coach Jim Reynolds.
Led by star forward Majok Deng, who recently committed to Pepperdine to play for former UA assistant and Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar, the Lancers (21-1) are also getting plenty of points from junior point guard Evan Nelson.
Nelson missed the first half of the 2017-18 season after transferring from Mountain View before his sophomore year. Once he became eligible in February of last year, the Lancers finished the season with a 12-2 record and fell four points short of taking down powerhouse Phoenix Shadow Mountain in the Class 4A state championship game.
This season, Nelson is averaging 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and has the Lancers in prime position for another date with Shadow Mountain in the state title game.
Nelson is a three-star prospect for the 2020 class and currently holds college offers from UC Santa Barbara, New Mexico, UC Irvine, Grand Canyon, Portland State, Rice and Duquesne. He’s also received interest from schools such as Stanford, Gonzaga, Oklahoma and Washington State.
The Star caught up Nelson to discuss the on-court chemistry with Deng and the state of his recruitment.
The team is having a much better season than last year, what’s been the winning formula?
A: “Having us start the year as a unit together has definitely changed us especially with me playing from the start, it really enhanced us. Last year was more different and we definitely got more experience as a team. The new guys also came ready to play so it’s a whole new culture for us this year.”
How has it been playing with Deng in his last season of high school?
A: “It’s bittersweet because that’s my guy and we’ve probably been playing together since we were in the sixth grade. I’m trying to send him off right and give him a ring.”
Did you and Deng play travel ball together?
A: “Yeah we played club ball together for a long time with the Tucson Roadrunners and Powerhouse.
How has Deng’s game grown since you’ve known each other?
A: “He’s had monumental development. He started off by coming to the very first practice in sandals, cargo shorts and a basketball jersey — he had no idea how to play. Seeing his game progress and how his game has grown, it’s actually amazing.”
What about you? How have you improved your game?
A: “I’ve definitely gotten a lot stronger. Last year I had a very good season, but I’ve gotten more consistent shooting the ball and turning over the ball less. Being more of a leader is something that I’m still working on. Leading the guys on the court, off the court, in practice is something that I’m focusing on.”
What’s the status of your recruitment?
A: “I’ve got a couple schools in mind, but I’m gonna play out this summer in AAU and see what I’ve got. Hopefully by this time next year, I’ll be committed.”
Who’s helped you in your recruitment?
A: “John Ortega, my dad, my coach Jim Reynolds. Everyone has helped me out in a big way, but it’s up to me to establish those great relationships with the coaches.”
Any of the current offers jump out to you?
A: “Probably UCSB is the one that is interested the most with Coach (Joe) Pasternack that just left the U of A. He’s probably on me the most right now.”
What about the power five schools that have shown interest in you?
A: “Yeah they’re just interested right now, but hopefully I have a really good summer so I can pick up those power five conference schools.”
How important is it for a player to make a name for themselves and standout at these AAU events?
A: “It’s pretty big because you’ll play five guys from the ESPN Top 100 in one game, sometimes 10 on the court at the same time. That’s when you have to play your best because you’ll have anywhere from 20, 30, 40 coaches watching you at a time.”
Salpointe Catholic has a handful of athletes being recruited by Division I schools. What does it mean to you to represent your school and Tucson on the national level?
A: “It means a lot to me honestly, because I get to represent my city. With the pride of going up against the Phoenix guys and representing Tucson, it means a lot.”
What was your dream college growing up?
A: “Obviously U of A. Coach Miller and those guys are the reason why I looked up that school the most.”
