Plymouth Raiders' coach Jay Marriott praises David Evans as a 'special player'
PLYMOUTH Raiders’ head coach Jay Marriott has heaped praise on family man David Evans.
In a decidedly bitter-sweet opening weekend of the BBL season, Raiders were beaten in the south-west derby by league newcomers Bristol Flyers and then bounced straight back against Surrey United.
Their win was inspired by a truly Herculean effort from Evans who also doubles up as the Raiders’ assistant coach. He racked up a devastating 28 points after making an extraordinary 10 of his 11 shots.
“I know what he is capable of since he has been a scorer at every level of his career and it's the outstanding efficiency he does it with, which makes him a special player,” said Marriott.
“It's a statistical line to behold and I was actually really proud of the response from all my guys.
“Bristol was a very tough place to go to and they are very organised, talented and confident.
“We must now continue growing as a group and building all the time as we are trying to build something special here at Plymouth.
“But we understand that Rome wasn't built in a day, so we’re very happy with our start.”
I know what he is capable of since he has been a scorer at every level of his career and it's the outstanding efficiency he does it with, which makes him a special player
As for Evans himself, his head is spinning from a hectic few days and weeks, both on and off the court. His wife and five children have all moved with him from the States and are still settling in.
“Yes, I have a wonderful family and am so grateful for them,” he said.
“I am excited to be here and Coach Marriott has done a great job putting together a team of high character individuals.
“We struggled against Bristol but still played well defensively.
“I think it just takes time to gel as a team and we will continue to gel throughout the year,” added Evans.