Tyree Evans, a sweet-shooting, 23-year-old recruit with a history of legal troubles, signed with the University of Maryland last month but can't be admitted until a disciplinary office reviews his criminal misdemeanors and makes a recommendation to the admissions office, school officials said yesterday.
Evans, who has bounced from high school to prep school to two junior colleges, must wait as another school decides whether to gamble on a young man whose talent has intrigued multiple colleges but whose background has frightened many of them away.
Maryland athletic officials wouldn't estimate how long it would take for the disciplinary review and final admissions decision on Evans.
Maryland coach Gary Williams has emerged as Evans' champion, and the risky move came initially without athletic director Debbie Yow's involvement. The coach said his instinct and years of experience tell him Evans can succeed.
Yow told The Sun yesterday she didn't know Maryland was recruiting Evans, who has misdemeanors in his past for marijuana possession and a prep school assault.
"After Tyree was offered the scholarship recently by the basketball staff and he had verbally committed, I learned that we were recruiting him and of two misdemeanor convictions," Yow said in written responses to Sun queries. "Coach Williams' strong desire was to allow the prospective student-athlete to be considered for admission."
Yow said in her statement that generally "if a coach learns that a prospect has had any issue that would be considered serious in nature they cease recruiting the individual."
All applicants, including non-athletes, must be reviewed by the Office of Student Discipline if they have been found guilty of any violation of the law, according to Yow. She emphasized Williams' "strong desire" to allow Evans to apply.
"Coach Williams has clearly indicated his intent to personally mentor Tyree, should he be admitted to Maryland. That commitment is critically important in considering this situation," Yow's statement said.
But Williams said: "I wouldn't bring him in here if I thought he needed special attention to make sure he doesn't do something wrong."
Interviewed yesterday, Evans said he can't wait to get to College Park to begin the life he has long aspired to as a major-college basketball player. "The past is the past. I'm proud to be a Terp," he said.
