SPRINGDALE — Iowa Western Community College basketball coach Jim Morris and his staff were on the brink of targeting a certain Arkansas high school standout in early March.

But several high school coaches around Arkansas had another name for Morris to check out.

"They said, 'That's not kid you need to see. You need to go see D.J. Evans,'" Morris said.

Evans signed with Iowa Western during a Wednesday ceremony in Springdale High's Bulldog Gym, inking with one of the top junior college programs in the nation after helping lead Springdale to a state runner-up finish as a senior.

Morris drove six hours to attend the signing ceremony for a player he hopes will be able to make an immediate impact as a combo guard for a program sending at least two of its players to power Division I conferences next season.

"He's really quick and can do a lot of things with the basketball," Morris said. "He's a tough kid. So we really like him."

Evans averaged 11.4 points, a team-high 3.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds as a senior. He chose Iowa Western over five other offers, committing after visiting the Council Bluffs, Iowa, school over spring break in late March and getting a feel for the team and coaches.

"(Morris) said if I come in and work hard, I would most likely get a starting position," Evans said. "He told me that I was going to work at one guard. I've done that before. I like passing."

Iowa Western's standing as one of the top junior college teams on a yearly basis played a big role in Evans' decision.

The Reivers were a top seed in the national junior college tournament last year and were ranked as high as No. 3 this season. They've sent more than 50 players to Division I programs the last 15 years.

Evans got a glimpse of the big-program atmosphere while on his visit.

"My first day there, we played and the Pittsburgh head coach (Jamie Dixon) was in the building," Evans said.

Evans was one of the main reasons Springdale was able to advance to its first state championship game appearance since 1998, showcasing the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor.

The all-state performer shot a team-high 55 percent from the floor while also hitting a respectable 35 percent from 3-point range for the Bulldogs. He was also voted 7A/6A-West Conference Defensive Player of the Year by league coaches.

Wednesday's signing was the culmination of a senior year of growth on and off the court for Evans, a celebratory event to cap an impressive season in which he returned to the team following a one-year absence. He became the fifth Springdale basketball player to sign with a college in the last four years.

"More important than anything else has been watching him grow as a young man to where this day comes true," Springdale coach Brad Stamps said. "We always knew he had the ability to play college basketball. But the thing that was going to prevent him from it, he's overcome. And that shows more about his character and who he is than what type of basketball player he is."

Sports on 04/10/2014