INDIANAPOLIS –- Wright State’s N’Gai Evans, along with the Butler duo of Matt Howard and Shawn Vanzant, have all signed contracts to play basketball in Europe in 2011-12. Howard signed with Greek power Olympiacos, while Evans will play for F.F. Feni Industries of the Macedonian League. Vanzant will compete with Korihait of Uusikaupunki (Finish League).
Howard and Vanzant, who both earned their Butler degrees in May, helped the Bulldogs to 117 victories, four Horizon League regular season championships, three league tournament titles, four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and two straight appearances in the NCAA national championship game during his career.
Howard was a three-time First Team All-Horizon League honoree, becoming the first player in League history to make the all-tournament team in each of his four seasons with the Bulldogs.
Averaging a team-best 16.4 points per game his senior year, Howard finished his career ranked 12th all-time in the League in scoring with 1,939 career points. The Connersville, Ind.-native was the 2011 Division I men’s basketball Capital One Academic All-American of the Year and was the back-to-back recipient of the Elite 88 Award, which is given to the top student-athlete among the teams competing in the Final Four.
The 2009 Horizon League Player of the Year, Howard was named the 2011 Horizon League Cecil Coleman Medal of Honor recipient, recognizing his outstanding achievement both on and off the court.
“I’m really happy for Shawn,” said Butler head coach Brad Stevens in a release. “He had a great career at Butler, defined by constant improvement. He ended his career as one of the winningest players of all-time at Butler, and he was a great representative of our school. We wish Shawn the very best, and we’ll be rooting hard for him.”
The 6-1 guard from Tampa, Fla., started 26 of Butler’s 38 games in 2010-11 and wound up fourth on the team in scoring with an 8.1 average. He finished third on the squad in assists (64) and minutes played (28.6) and fourth on the team in steals (29). During Butler’s 14-game winning streak prior to the national championship game, Vanzant averaged 10.4 points and shot .457 from beyond the three-point arc. He was named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2011 Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship, after scoring 26 points in Butler’s two tournament wins.
“Shawn is in great shape physically and will likely play point guard when the season opens in late September,” said Vanzant’s agent Matthew C. Krejci of MK Sports and Entertainment LLC in a release announcing the signing.
Vanzant will be joining a team that plays in the top Finnish league, Korisliiga. Korihait placed fourth in the league a year ago with a 28-16 record.
A Second Team All-Horizon League pick in 2011, Evans averaged 13.7 ppg while collecting 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest in leading Wright State to a 19-14 overall record.
“I knew I wanted to keep playing after college, and it was about finding the right opportunity,” Evans told the Dayton Daily News.
Evans becomes the second Raider to head for Europe off of last year’s team, joining teammate Vaughn Duggins, who will play in the Bundeslega.
F.F. Feni Industries went 26-2 last year in the 10-team Macedonian League.
Tags: Butler - Men's Basketball · Wright State - Men's Basketball
