Wichita State picks up 2007 committment

[user1]

Evan Baker, 6'2" combo guard from Maryland and Archbishop Carroll HS (Wash. DC), has already graduated but will spend a year at MCI prep school in Maine. He committed today to Wichita State.
He is rated ONE Star by scout, Rivals does not have him listed in their database.

http://scouthoops.scout.com/2/548297.html

"Baker, who averaged 19 points as a senior, will spend this season at MCI (Maine) before enrolling at Wichita State.

"They really stuck with me and I felt comfortable with them,???‚¬?? Baker said. ???‚¬?“I went there for a camp in June and really liked it. It???‚¬?„?s real nice.???‚¬??

``I wanted to go somewhere that I can play right away and playing for coach (Mark) Turgeon is a big plus."



Even all the fans on the Shocker board are totally stumped by this one, as none had ever heard of the kid and are surprised at this committment. The kid's statement suggests he expects to start "right away". Is Turgeon making these promises to unknown highschoolers?

http://www.shockernet.net/sn/viewtopic.php?t=4135

http://www.shockernet.net/sn/viewtopic.php?t=4136

[tornado]

Now that he has committed (and probably now that scout did a report on him) Rivals has Evan Baker on their database, and they have a short blurb on his committment to WSU.
They have him as NR (no stars).

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=2&pr_key=55576

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=563263

"Evan Baker has spent his high school career in Washington D.C. proving people wrong. After a year at Maine Central Institute, the 6-foot-3 guard will suit up for a program that does the same thing.

Baker committed to Wichita State on Thursday. The Archbishop Carroll guard said he built a strong relationship with the coaching staff at the Sweet 16 program.

"It's a great program but the reason is coach (Mark) Turgeon," Baker said. "He was with me the whole time. A lot of people came and went but he was always there. I broke my ribs in my junior season and a lot of people didn't see me play and that slowed down the process. There were some people coming at me after this season but (Wichita State) was always there with me."

That kind of loyalty struck a cord with the guard that scored 51 points in the Montverde Academy Invitational, where he was also named the tourney's Most Outstanding Player.

"That was big for me," Baker said of the long term relationship he built with Turgeon. "No one really recruited me hard. I feel like I was kind of underrated, especially around D.C."

Playing with something to prove was the fuel that rode the Shockers deep into the NCAA tournament last year. Baker says that same fuel is what drives his game.

"That's exactly what I'm on," he said. "I want to do the same thing. I want to prove to people that I, I mean, (Wichita State) can play no matter what."

[Bravesguy]

This article spells his name differently and says he doesn't presently have a qualifying SAT score.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/sports/15086727.htm