Duke's Cameron Boozer praises Isaiah Evans for 'big-time' game vs Clemson in ACC tournament
· Yahoo Sports
CHARLOTTE — Cameron Boozer had another big-time game as Duke basketball’s big-time player, but he twice used the phrase “big-time” to describe one of his Blue Devil teammates.
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Sophomore sharpshooter Isaiah Evans followed up a career-high scoring game in the 2026 ACC Tournament with a career-high rebounding effort in the top-ranked Blue Devils’ 73-61 win against Clemson at Spectrum Center.
After combining for nine rebounds in the last four games, Evans snagged 10 boards to aid short-handed Duke (31-2), which was without Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II for a second straight game. That duo accounts for nearly 10 rebounds per game, with Boozer continuing to pace the pack with an average of double-digit boards.
But Evans, who entered the semifinals against the Tigers (24-10) averaging 2.9 rebounds per game, knew he had to step up and contribute on the glass. Boozer was glad to see it.
“That’s big-time. Coach (Jon Scheyer) has been on him about rebounding. To have a career-high in rebounding, that’s a big deal,” said Boozer, who had 24 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.
“It shows his physicality, his toughness. He’s showed up big-time for us all year long. For him to get those rebounds, it definitely made a difference.”
A 6-foot-6 Fayetteville native, Evans is known for his flamethrowing ability to string together 3-pointers. That knack for knocking down shots was on full display in the quarterfinals against Florida State, with Evans logging a career-high 32 points in a one-point win.
Despite finishing with six points on 1 of 9 shooting against Clemson, Evans has developed into a player capable of affecting the game in different ways.
“I’ve just been trying to make an effort on trying to do other things than scoring,” Evans said.
“Obviously, it’s gonna be really hard to have a really good shooting night every night. So, I’ve just been trying my best to do everything else.”
Scheyer refers to those areas beyond the ball as the “98%.” Evans filled the gaps with nine defensive rebounds, including seven in a dominant first half for the Blue Devils, who had a 19-point halftime lead against the Tigers.
“I think it's incredible growth by Isaiah. ... But for the most part I thought he was incredibly patient, disciplined, and then he threw his energy into what we call the 98%, all the areas that are without the ball," Scheyer said. “So the fact he had 10 rebounds and only making one shot and impacting winning as much as he did, I'm just really proud of him and his growth.”
Whether it's scoring, rebounding or defense, the Blue Devils will need another big-time performance from Evans to finish off their run at the ACC tournament with a net-cutting ceremony and trophy celebration against Virginia (29-4).
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: How Isaiah Evans had 'big-time' game for Duke basketball vs Clemson