Duke basketball freshman Isaiah Evans names James Harden, Jalen Brunson as inspirations

During last week’s episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, Duke’s Isaiah Evans named James Harden and Jalen Brunson as players he looks up to.

The best way to become a great basketball player is to watch what great basketball players do, and that fact is not lost on new Duke freshman [autotag]Isaiah Evans[/autotag].

During last week’s episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, the incoming five-star named James Harden and Jalen Brunson as two NBA players he enjoys watching.

Evans said he felt drawn to Harden since he was young, and he would have been 12 years old when Harden was named the 2017-18 NBA MVP with the Houston Rockets. He averaged 30.4 points per game that season, his first of three consecutive scoring titles.

“He imposed his will on the defense,” Evans said. “He was just going out there and just showing you, you really just couldn’t do nothing with him. I just loved that.”

With Harden now approaching his 35th birthday, Evans said Brunson emerged as a younger player he loves studying.

“His footwork and his pivots and his pump fakes,” Evans said. “I’m just in love with it.”

Thanks to his Duke commitment and slender build, Evans draws many visual comparisons to former Blue Devil [autotag]Brandon Ingram[/autotag]. The five-star freshman also said he likes watching Ingram and [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] as he tries to take what he can from as many stars as possible.