Ramar Evans led the Loyola boys basketball team in eight statistical categories this season, including points, rebounds and assists.
What couldn’t be calculated, though, was Evans’ leadership of the Ramblers (16-15). Even though he’s a junior, the guard was a captain and someone all the players looked up to, according to Loyola coach Tom Livatino.
“He’s a person people naturally follow,” Livatino said. “He became more comfortable in a leadership role as the season went on. He still has a ways to go, but he’s a special player.”
Evans’ last game of the season was a 52-50 loss to Notre Dame in the Class 4A Loyola Regional final on Friday, March 4. He had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. In the team’s 51-49 win over New Trier in the regional semifinals on Tuesday, March 1, Evans finished with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, four steals and took two charges.
As for what else Evans meant to the team, look no further than the development Andre White Jr. The freshman guard was on the court in the fourth quarter of both playoff games because of his talent, but White said he wouldn’t have been the player he was without the guidance of Evans.
“I tried to be a brother on and off the court for these guys,” said Evans, a Chicago resident who started as a sophomore. “For Andre, I wanted him to know I trusted him. Even if he had a turnover or a bad game, I wanted him to know I know what he’s capable of. I probably got on him more than others because I expect more out of him. He’s matured big time, and I’m proud of the way he played this season. I can’t wait to see what’s next for him.”
White, who lives in Waukegan, said Evans made his transition to high school much easier.
“We talked all the time, and not even about basketball,” White said. “If I needed help with homework or something was going on at home, I always knew I could talk to him. He was always building me up and keeping me positive.”
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Although he didn’t play on varsity as a freshman, Evans said he remembered how it was his first year of high school.
“Ramar has done such a good job with Andre,” Livatino said. “Andre isn’t a local guy, so he can’t really hang out after school. But Ramar made sure he felt like part of the team from the beginning.”
Evans, an all-Catholic North selection, averaged 13.4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.7 steals and took 28 charges. In two seasons, Evans has scored more than 600 points, and Livatino said he sees him as a Division I prospect.
“He does everything for us,” Livatino said. “But he’s just scratching the surface of his athleticism. He needs to become more explosive. We plan to adapt our offseason conditioning program to make our players quicker, more agile, better jumpers. Ramar’s game can get so much better.”
But Livatino said he also looks forward to Evans taking even more ownership of the program as a senior.
“He’s the complete player,” Livatino said. “He has the skill to play at a high level, is a good student, has good character and loves his teammates.”
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