SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. — Gophers fans flocked to meet Dennis Evans III once his 7-1 frame was spotted walking into J. Serra High School gym before Monday's SoCal Challenge opener.
The five-star Gophers recruit made the hour trip from his home in Riverside with his high school coach to watch his future team.
Not only did Ben Johnson's team pull off a thrilling overtime win, but they did it in front of the Gophers' best recruit in 20 years.
"It was really exciting to get to see them up close in action," Evans told the Star Tribune. "I could definitely see how hard they play and how badly they want to win."
Even current U players such as All-Big Ten preseason junior Jamison Battle noticed Evans, who witnessed the Gophers escaping Cal Baptist in overtime to advance to Wednesday's championship vs. UNLV.
"To see Dennis in the crowd, that's big," said Battle, who made his season debut Monday coming off foot surgery. "For him to see us get a win like this and see us play in his home state, that's big."
Johnson signed a high-profile 2023 recruiting class with Evans and Illinois guard Cameron Christie earlier this month showing how much the program is trending upward by adding major talent.
Evans, who had 23 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in one of his first games for Riverside Hillcrest this season, likes the Gophers style of play. He pointed out how they focus on ball movement and put an emphasis on featuring their post players, including freshman Pharrel Payne and transfer Dawson Garcia, who scored the game-winning basket Monday in overtime.