Evan Puryear '22 Recruiting Profile

As someone who wants to get a higher education and be a First-Generation College Graduate, I also have the dream of being the first person in my family to play a sport at a collegiate level. Ultimately, my goal is to get a college education, however, if basketball comes with it, I would be ecstatic.

Because I have played on many teams; Competitive basketball, middle school basketball (starting in 6th-grade and even playing on the 8th-grade team), and in high school, I have had many teammates and have had the opportunity to play many opponents. This means I have learned the role of respecting my coaches, my teammates, the referees, and my opponents, who were all making me a better player. 

Recently, as I have gotten older, I have learned the value of my voice and being a leader. As one of the two seniors, I’m in the gym with my teammates helping them get better, during the off season, because I feel that it is my role to take on the leadership aspect. I give them rides when needed, and I'm there if and when they need advice. I want to be their big brother.

With all of that being said, summer is my time to get better, to be in the gym. Once school starts, and my academics take over, this is when I need to manage my athletics and academics. Because I go to a school that puts academics before athletics, I believe this has prepared me to know how to get my work done but also set time aside to be in the gym aside from practices. In the end, my goal is to get a higher education while playing basketball at a collegiate level.