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Conference tournaments continued across the country on Thursday, March 12, as teams make their final efforts to reach the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n
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A few squads have already punched their tickets, while others are still compete for conference titles. In the ACC, multiple NBA Draft prospects played on Thursday as the league tournament draws closer to its end.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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North Carolina fell at the hands of Clemson, while Miami topped Louisville and Virginia took down NC State.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Duke took the final spot in the conference tournament\u2019s semifinal round with an 80-79 win against Florida State. The Blue Devils, who have been one of college basketball\u2019s best teams throughout the campaign, are without multiple key pieces due to injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Starting guard Caleb Foster and starting big man Patrick Ngongba II are both sidelined for the entire ACC Tournament. Against the Seminoles, though, Isaiah Evans stepped up for Duke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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In the Blue Devils\u2019 victory, the sophomore tallied 32 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block while shooting 11-of-20 from the field and 7-of-16 from 3-point range. Evans was the game’s leading scorer and one of only two Duke players to score in double figures.<\/p>\n
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Cameron Boozer, one of the nation’s best players, finished with 23 points.<\/p>\n
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Evans\u2019 performance against Florida State is an impressive glimpse at what the talented wing player can offer a team at the next level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The former five-star recruit is a solid perimeter shooter whose primary role is to knock down shots from the outside and space the floor. Additionally, Evans length allows him to be disruptive on defense and grab rebounds.<\/p>\n
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In the NBA, Evans would likely have to add strength to his frame to be a more impactful defender and rebounder, but the second-year wing clearly has potential in both of those areas to accompany his shooting prowess.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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On the season, Evans is averaging 15 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 43.3% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Coming out of high school, Evans was rated the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 4 small forward in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports.<\/p>\n
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After filling a smaller role for the Blue Devils last year, Evans has become a bigger part of Duke\u2019s rotation alongside likely top-3 pick Cameron Boozer. With his increased role, Evans has likely secured a spot in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, and could climb even higher with a few more big performances.<\/p>\n
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Evans and company will meet Clemson in the ACC Tournament semifinals as both teams prepare for the NCAA Tournament, which starts next week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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