Family and perseverance drive Cuyahoga Community College Men’s Basketball’s Frankie Evans IV to next chapter

CLEVELAND, Ohio (athletics.tri-c.edu) – Most every high school athlete's dream is to go to the Division I ranks and compete at the highest levels of their sport. That was true for Frankie Evans IV (So./Los Angeles, Calif./Los Angeles Valley College). But Evans ran into one problem: he had no offers.

"My journey was different than everyone else's," Evans said. "I had to take the long route."

And it was a long and winding route that took Evans from sunny California to the shores of Lake Erie with his dream in mind: continue to build his academics and play at the NCAA Division I level.

Out of El Dorado High School in Las Vegas, Nev., Evans had no offers to play college basketball anywhere, let alone Division I. Despite his lofty achievements – First Team All-Conference honors, El Dorado High School Player of the Year and 21.5 points per game – it seemed like no school was clamoring to bring him into its program.

For many athletes, that's where doubt sets in. You start questioning the how and why you're pursuing what you are pursuing. That happened to Evans, who believed he was missing the spotlight, but had the talent to play at the next level.

"I've always been an under-the-radar type of player, so I always had to work a little bit harder than everyone else to get the notoriety that they had," Evans said. "I feel like everything leading up to getting to Tri-C was a grind."

Luckily, that grind is something Evans is comfortable with. Going back to when he first started playing sports as a young boy, his father instilled a high- effort mindset in Evans. Evans' father was his coach in all sports up until Evans turned 13, and the sophomore credits his dad with setting the stage for his athletic success.

"Everything I know right now is because of him," Evans said of his father. "He's the person who taught me to be the person and the player I am today."

Those lessons included making the best of a non-ideal situation, which led Evans to enroll at the Los Angeles Valley College prep school. While with the Monarchs, Evans shined, starting 16 of his 18 games while shooting 42.9 percent from the field. But it wasn't enough; it wasn't getting him to his goal.

Evans hit the transfer portal and found his way out to Cuyahoga Community College, a place that felt surprisingly familiar to the California native.

"Ironically, both my parents are actually from Cleveland," Evans said with a laugh.

Even though they stayed in Las Vegas, Evans kept in constant contact with his family. He talked to them over video calls every day. His dad remained by his side, offering advice.

He found a role with the Triceratops on the hardwood, spending most of the season as a key contributor off the bench. He appeared in 25 games, scoring 8.4 points per game with 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. The sophomore shot 54.7 percent from the field and 47.9 percent from the three-point line, both team bests.

But things didn't immediately go as planned. Evans fell into a bench role for most of the season, only seeing small stints of action.

"The first half of the season, it was a little rocky for me," Evans said. "I still wanted to show that I was the best player on the team. That's what my dad taught me growing up: to be the best that you could be, no matter what you're going through."

So, Evans stuck with it. He worked hard at practice. He hit the books. He kept doing what he needed to do to put himself in the best position to succeed. All that led to a hot streak at the end of the season. In the Triceratops' final four games, Evans was unstoppable. He shot 62.4 percent from the field and 76.1 percent beyond the arc, averaging 20.3 points per game.

Everything was coming up good for Evans. He ended the season with his best play. He ended the Spring semester with a 3.7 GPA and just one class away from receiving his Associate of Arts degree.

Throughout the season and his year at Tri-C, Evans felt like he belonged.

"My time at Tri-C was a blessing," Evans said. "I met some great people that helped me along the way. Athletic Director Anthony Franklin, Coach Sherri Gilmore, I met a lot of great people."

With so many people joining his father in his corner, Evans was able to thrive at Tri-C. He found a love for keeping his grades up. In fact, Evans believes his high achievement in the classroom is a big part of him now, something else that was instilled by his father to be the best individual he can be.

Evans must look for his next steps. And he found it at NCAA Division II Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. While it's not the Division I stop Evans was dreaming of, he's still very happy with his landing spot.

"I feel like Livingstone College is the best situation before because it's a place that wanted me deeply," Evans said about his recruitment process with the Blue Bears. "We talked every day. It's a place where I can go show what I can do on the court and academically. It's a great fit."

But that fit may not have been possible without Evans' time at Tri-C.

"Being at Tri-C gave me the confidence, strength and power to go Division II."

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