KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Wednesday the signing of two high school standouts, DeWayne Brown II and Amari Evans.
Brown is a 6-foot-9, 255-pound forward from Hoover, Ala., while Evans is a 6-foot-5, 211-pound guard out of Pittsburgh. Both of them are consensus four-star prospects.
Considered the best player in the state of Alabama by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN, Brown is also listed as a top-115 prospect nationally by all three. ESPN rates him as the No. 66 player in the class of 2025 and the ninth-best center, while he checks in at No. 87 overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
“We are quite pleased to officially welcome DeWayne and his family to Knoxville,” Barnes said. “He comes from a very successful high school program, Hoover, at which he has won back-to-back state titles. DeWayne is a skilled forward with the ability to score in the paint. However, he is also adept at both shooting and facilitating on the perimeter. He is a hard worker who is receptive to coaching and we feel he will be an excellent fit for the culture of our program.”
Brown has excelled in each of Hoover’s 7A title games victories. He registered 15 points and 11 rebounds as a junior to clinch state tournament MVP recognition for the Bucs, who finished 30-3. As a sophomore, he put up 24 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks to conclude a 31-4 season with All-Tournament status.
In each of the last two seasons, Brown has garnered Alabama Sportswriters Association (ASWA) 7A First Team All-State accolades, one of just two players to do so. During the 2024 Nike EYBL slate, Brown averaged 11.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Florida Rebels.
Before committing to Tennessee over Mississippi State, Brown held offers, per 247Sports, from schools such as Alabama, Cincinnati, LSU, Ole Miss, Providence, UCF and Virginia Tech.
Brown will be the 10th player from Alabama in Tennessee history and set to join Jacksonville native Cade Phillips as Yellowhammer State natives on the team’s 2025-26 roster. A third Alabamian, Lamonté Turner, has signed with the Volunteers during Barnes’ tenure and he scored 1,086 points from 2016-20.
Evans, who attends Overtime Elite in Atlanta, is listed as a top-80 recruit by ESPN (No. 77), 247Sports (No. 80) and Rivals (No. 80). All three list him as a top-11 player in Georgia, as does the 247Sports Composite, which slots him at No. 75 nationally and No. 18 among small forwards.
“We are excited to bring Amari and his family into our program,” Barnes shared. “Stylistically, he was one of the better fits in the country for us. Amari comes from an AAU program, the New York Lightning, that we have had a lot of success with in our time here. He possesses toughness, shooting ability, skill and a superb basketball IQ. Amari hangs his hat on being a high-level defender, which is something that stood out right away to us. More than anything, though, he is a winner.”
Evans, the 2023-24 Overtime Elite Defensive Player of the Year, led his City Reapers team to the OTE crown last year. He averaged 10.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game in the regular season, notching 12-plus points in half his 16 outings, with 16-plus thrice. He upped his scoring average to 11.8 points per game in the playoffs, with 17-plus in three of eight appearances.
Thus far in 2024-25, Evans is putting up 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He has dropped at least 20 points in three of the City Reapers’ four affairs, while shooting 26-of-28 (92.3 percent) at the line.
Evans selected Tennessee over Pittsburgh and Xavier, while he also received offers, according to 247Sports, from programs like Georgia, Illinois, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Providence, TCU, Texas A&M and Villanova.
Tennessee has five prior players from Pennsylvania, all of whom played in Knoxville between 1963-64 and 1970-71. Two of them, Rick Keebler (1963-64; 1965-66) and Joe Pietropola (1964-65), are fellow Pittsburgh natives.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BROWN
Adam Finkelstein, 247Sports Director of Basketball Scouting: “Brown is a major physical presence with his length and power. He has some developing offensive skill, but he’s also one of the most reliable frontcourt defenders in the class. He’s physical and smart on that end of the floor and so he should be a really good fit for a Tennessee program that has been among the top five defenses in college basketball in four of the last five seasons.”
Paul Biancardi, ESPN Basketball Recruiting Director: “Brown is a massive front-line prospect with impressive physical measurables such as a 7-foot wingspan and a 9-foot standing reach. The strength of his game is his ability to make and maintain contact on the blocks or in the paint for post scores. He will score with angles to the basket or a simple post move. His girth and soft hands can lead to him being a great screener/roll/slip player. While facing up, he can execute dribble-handoffs. He plays solid positional defense and is willing to battle on the glass, but must continue to do so more consistently. His upside is in his overall physical conditioning; when that improves, he will elevate his performance. Rick Barnes has a long record of enormous success maximizing each player’s physical condition. I remember how Grant Willimas made a meaningful change under coach Barnes.”
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT EVANS
Eric Bossi, 247Sports National Basketball Director: “Evans is somebody whom Vols fans will love. He is strong, tough and causes problems as a slashing scorer who has to be respected as a jump-shooter. He’s also a top-notch defender and brings an intensity and enthusiasm to the floor that is contagious. He’s mature beyond his years and will instantly add value to the culture Rick Barnes has built.”
Paul Biancardi, ESPN Basketball Recruiting Director: “Evans brings a competitive and aggressive nature to the court. He owns a powerful and sturdy frame that includes broad shoulders and a 6-10 wingspan. I love his positional size and physical tools. He is a combination of a scoring, cutting and transition finisher as an offensive player. His next step is to become a more dependable jump-shooter. He is a better defender than people know and that will only improve under the tutelage of one of the country’s best coaches in Rick Barnes. His physical qualities and traits will help continue the winning tradition coach Barnes has built in Knoxville.”
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