As Rick Barnes at age 70 pushes his style and Tennessee Basketball into a new era with three-point shooting and elite go-to scoring options, he’s still committed partially to what has generated so much success for him in his career. Defense and the ability to make plays in transition will always be a part of what he wants to do.
With that in mind, Barnes landed the perfect fit for his style of play in elite 2025 win Amari Evans Friday night. A four-star across the board, Evans, who hails from Pittsburgh, Pa., but plays AAU ball for Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Ga., announced his commitment to Tennessee Basketball Friday night.
Standing at 6’5″ 200 pounds, Evans is an athletic guard who has generated his rating based on his elite defense and ability to score on the break. He manufactures plays for himself by forcing turnovers and pushing the tempo, and that’s a perfect fit for what the Vols are even able to do now.
That doesn’t mean he can’t shoot, as he has proven in this highlight reel that he’s a unique threat from outside and can find the open man when he drives and the paint collapses on him. It’s not likely he’ll ever be the go-to scorer specifically for the Vols, but he proved he is an offensive threat.
Perhaps what stands out most about Evans is what he said about the Vols. According to Ben McKee of 247Sports, he touted the way Barnes developed Dalton Knecht. That’s another nod to the defense Barnes coaches, as Knecht chose UT to improve that side of the ball. Evans said as much, noting the UT brand is about defense.
Evans follows Alabama forward DeWayne Brown as the two members of the 2025 Tennessee Basketball recruiting class. Brown committed to the Vols back in May. It’s unclear whether or not Barnes will build an elite class, as he didn’t in 2024 and may utilize the transfer portal more in the future. Either way, Evans could be one of his great development stories.
