MADISON - Wisconsin men’s basketball freshman Ryan Evans announced Friday that
he will use his redshirt and sit out the 2008-09 season. Evans will
participate in all practices and attend games.
“It’s no secret that I’m a late-bloomer when it comes to
basketball,” Evans said in a press release. “I feel like it will be good for my
development to use this year to mature and learn the game even better.
I’m really excited to contribute in practice and help this team any
way I can this year. This was entirely my decision and I think it will
really help me be ready to contribute to the team during games next
season.”
Winner of the slam dunk contest at this year’s Night of the Grateful
Red, Evans played 11 minutes in Wisconsin’s exhibition games vs.
Augustana and UW-Whitewater. The Phoenix, Ariz. native scored six points
and grabbed four rebounds during preseason action. As a prep, Evans led
his team with an 18.4 scoring average as a senior and pulled down 7.4
rebounds per game. He earned first-team all-state honors en route to
helping Hamilton High School reach the state semifinals in his senior
year.