Gophers 7-foot recruit Dennis Evans gets triple-double in front of Ben Johnson in Vegas

Some players need a game or two to get comfortable after sitting out, but not Gophers senior recruit Dennis Evans III, who returned to the court Monday night with a triple-double in the Jerry Tarkanian Classic opener in Las Vegas.

With his future coach Ben Johnson in attendance, Evans had his best overall performance this year for Riverside Hillcrest (Calif.). The five-star 7-footer finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks in a 67-53 win against previously undefeated Cypress Bay (Fla.).

After missing three games being out sick, Evans had not played since Nov. 26, but he was a game-changing inside presence from the opening tip Monday.

Three of his six dunks came in the opening five minutes. He disrupted shots on nearly every defensive possession. His third career triple-double and eighth career double-digit block game also included seven blocks in the second half.

Evans, who was averaging 16.5 points, 11 rebounds and 5.3 blocks through the first four games, will play Tuesday against Crean Lutheran. NBA scouts have been allowed to watch this high school tournament in Vegas for the first time this year.

After a late start to taking basketball seriously in middle school, Evans' game has grown rapidly with his height. He was recently measured at 7-2 1/2 with shoes with a 7-7 wingspan and 9-6 standing reach.

"Pretty hard to find a better rising big man than Dennis," Johnson said earlier about the crown jewel of the 2023 recruiting class. "He's a unique and special kid. Unbelievably humble."

Evans signed last month to highlight the U's nationally ranked class, joining four-star Illinois guard Cameron Christie, who is also off to a hot start to his senior season. Evans' improvement offensively has been impressive, most notably with a 23-point, 13-rebound, four-block effort vs. four-star Houston recruit Jacob McFarland last month.

Still, Evans has been known as the top shot blocker in high school basketball since last season when he averaged seven blocks. That's when he posted his last triple-double before Monday with a career-high 16 blocks.

"Dennis' [shot blocking] is something I don't teach," Hillcrest coach Jackson Wood said earlier. "He picked that up on his own. He has got good timing and instincts. The length to go with it. He does phenomenal stuff that even catches me by surprise still."

The Gophers (5-6), who broke a five-game losing streak last week against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, resume play Thursday night against Chicago State at Williams Arena.