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Dana Evans might not have as many suitors as Taylor Swift, but West Side's junior basketball star is still attracting plenty of attention.
College coaches have been flocking to school to talk to the 5-foot-6 point guard, showing up at open gyms, making phone calls, sending text messages and wearing out U.S. mail carriers.
Coaches from coast to coast continue to court Evans — listed by ESPN as the No. 12-ranked player overall and the fourth-best point guard in the country in the Class of 2017.
Evans, who averaged 22.7 points, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals as a sophomore, has secured offers from Big Ten stalwarts Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, DePaul, Marquette, and Wright State also have extended offers.
Louisville, Notre Dame, Rutgers and UCLA also are interested in the explosive and ultra-talented Evans, who's even drawing interest from Ivy League schools like Princeton and Yale.
Dana Evans of West Side ranked No. 12 in national rankings by ESPN
West Side's Dana Evans drives to the basket during the first day of basketball practice for the 2015-2016 season on Monday.
(Jim Karczewski / Post-Tribune)
"I'm not in a hurry to pick a school,'' Evans said Monday as girls basketball teams throughout the state opened practice for the 2015-16 season.
"I'll probably narrow my list to 10 or five teams, then decide by the beginning of my senior year. There aren't really any schools I want to commit to right now. It gets a little overwhelming at times, but it's exciting and fun, and I'm enjoying the process.''
One thing's for sure, Evans' mail carrier has to be worn out from sorting and delivering all her mail. She's already collected five large shoe boxes of letters and offers, and has started a sixth.
"Some schools are more interested than others,'' said Evans, who spent the summer working hard to hone her skills and improve her game.
Evans has a personal trainer at Gary's Hudson-Campbell Fitness Center to improve her overall strength, speed and agility.
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She spent time over the summer running the dunes at Miller Beach in an effort to improve her conditioning.
Her Indianapolis Gym Rats Silver AAU team finished second at the prestigious Nike Nationals in July.
Evans also spent a week at Notre Dame's team camp and maintains strong attraction in the Fighting Irish, who began showing interest in her during her freshman year.
"Dana is a better player now than you've seen before,'' West Side coach Rod Fisher said. "She's more aggressive and stronger. She's not going to take the beating inside she did before.''
Fisher noted Evans has worked hard to improve her shooting — adding a mid-range jumper to her arsenal.
"She has some counter moves inside she hasn't had in the past,'' he said.
Nearly two inches taller and about 10 pounds heavier, Evans should be even more difficult for opponents to handle.
Since West Side lost three starters and six players off last year's 18-8 team, Evans will likely have to carry an even bigger load this year, especially since this group isn't expected to have much depth.
"We're going to be a really good team,'' Evans said. "We're going to shock some people, but I believe we're going to have to stay focused and be patient in our development.
"Our chemistry is good right now. I won't say we're going to be better, but maybe just as good.''
