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With 17 players on last year’s squad, it was challenging for the freshman players on the Montcalm Community College Centurions men’s basketball team to stand out. For Jahmere Evans, it seems to come naturally to him, both literally and figuratively. 

Since signing with the team, the 19-year-old sophomore shooting guard/forward from Indianapolis, Indiana has grown three inches taller, from 6-foot, 2-inches to 6-foot, 5-inches. And, according to head coach Zach Ingles, Evans’ game is naturally growing, too. 

“He has the world at his fingertips,” said Ingles, explaining Evans’ potential. “He has all the ability on planet Earth.” 

Last season, Evans flashed his potential to be a big impact player for the Centurions, scoring a season-high 18 points in a 74-58 win over Kirtland College and 17 points in a 91-78 loss to Mid Michigan. In the 27 games he played, Evans scored in double figures 10 times.  

“Last year, he had moments of being a true freshman, living away from home and going up against college men for the first time,” Ingles said. “But there were a few moments, too, where he showed his pure talent. He’s crazy talented and we’ll be looking for him to put more of that together this season because we expect him to be in a bigger scoring role.” 

Over the summer, “Mere” has been working on his game, has been playing summer ball against collegiate and pro players nearly every day and has been working on his strength and mobility to prepare for his second season at MCC, which begins in October. 

“I’ve been working on improving my driving ability to get to the finish with contact and working on making better separation,” Evans said. 

Evans has lofty goals for this season, aiming to be an All-American and make the MCCAA All-Academic Team. He is hoping to earn a Division I scholarship.  

As for the team, Evans believes the Centurions have all the makings to be champions. 

“We’re capable of winning the North Division and winning a national championship,” Evans said. “In order to do that, we have to have that dog in us and have discipline and grit.” 

On and off the court, Evans has an impact on his teammates, Ingles said. 

“Mere not only has big goals but he has a big personality, too. That’s one of the things I love about him,” Ingles said. 

What Ingles loves about Evans on the court is that he brings a three-level threat to opponents, which he can shoot from the outside, can drive to the rim, and he is a good defender. 

“He’s a wing scorer who can slash, is very long and has the ability to get to the rim,” Ingles said. “He knows our system, so he knows what to expect. He has good size, good length, a motor and understands the game. The only thing he needs to really do is to realize he has to play a full 40 minutes every game. If he does that, if he can put everything together, like I said, the world is at his fingertips.” 

Last year for Evans was a well-rounded experience, not only on the court but also settling into the campus life and learning to live on his own. On the court, Evans said he learned a lot about himself as a player and is incorporating those lessons into his game this season. 

“What I learned from last year was to take more accountability and focus on the plays and the process with the team,” he said. “Our strength last year was our upperclassmen who guided us freshmen. What held us back was the lack of discipline sometimes and sometimes our ego got in the way.” 

As one of the nine sophomore leaders, Evans said he knows he not only has coaches watching him, but freshman players looking to him for guidance and support as well. 

“I have to make sure I’m setting a great example for them, staying with it and going hard every time I step on that floor,” he said. “I’m excited to come back in a bigger role on the team.” 

Ingles knows Evans will be a different type of leader for this year’s team. Not one to be too serious but one to keep things light. 

“He is your fun-loving, go-lucky kind of guy,” Ingles said. “He’s not going to be a fire and brimstone kind of leader like I was when I was a player. He works just as hard, but he likes to keep the mood light.” 

Whether Evans can elevate his game this year, Ingles said it will all be up to him. 

“He’s just figuring out how good he is, but he’s been keeping an even keel about it,” Ingles said. “He has the potential to be great. Maybe it will click this year, and we see him get to that next level, or maybe it happens down the road. He has all the tools. It’s just a matter of when he will use them all at once.”