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Logan • Usually, the 80-mile drive between Salt Lake City and Utah State University takes 90 minutes — north on I-15, through Sardine Canyon and into Cache Valley.
Lew Evans' journey was more unconventional.
After helping Highland High win the Class 4A state championship in 2011, Evans attended prep school in New Hampshire and junior college in Wyoming. He played one year of Division I basketball at Tulsa before transferring to Utah State.
"It's been a long road," said Evans, the Aggies' No. 3 scorer and rebounder who has toiled under six head coaches since his senior season at Highland.
An all-stater for the Rams, Evans' odyssey began when he turned down offers from Dixie State and a handful of junior colleges to attend New Hampton (N.H.) Prep.
"I was 6-6 and still growing into my feet," he said. "I thought, 'I want a little more than what was out there.' "
Evans decided on prep school after talking to former Olympus star Nick Paulos, who attended New Hampton.
"He called me and said, 'Lew, you've really got to come here,' " Evans recalled. "At first, I was like, 'No, no. I'm not going there. It's the middle of nowhere.' But he was like, 'No, no. You'll love it.' "
Paulos was right; he loved it.
In particular, Evans enjoyed the competition, which was outstanding. One of his teammates was Olivier Hanlan, who ended up at Boston College and was the Utah Jazz's second-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Still, Evans wanted more than the small-school scholarship offers he received. So he transferred to Casper College, just a six-hour drive from home in Salt Lake.
During one season in Wyoming, Evans averaged 10 points and seven rebounds. His choice of colleges increased. He talked to Wyoming, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Nebraska, Colorado State and Fresno State, among others.
At Tulsa, however, former NBA star Danny Manning was named the new head coach and Evans had been roommates with his son at prep school.
"I took my visit to Tulsa and I fell in love with it," Evans said. "It was awesome and, since I already knew coach Manning, it was like family."
Evans helped Tulsa reach the 2014 NCAA Tournament. But Manning left after the season to take a job at Wake Forest and Evans didn't feel comfortable with his replacement, ex-Missouri coach Frank Haith.
So he transferred again, picking Utah State and the Mountain West Conference over North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina-Greensboro and UC Santa Barbara.
"I knew I wasn't going to play in the ACC," Evans said. "But I wanted to play in the best conference possible. I wanted to play against the best competition and I thought, 'The Mountain West is where I can get better.' "
According to Tim Duryea, who took over at Utah State after Stew Morrill retired last year, Evans has improved despite missing time with an early-season concussion and another bout with concussion symptoms.
Evans has embraced his role as the Aggies' No. 1 center, which he inherited when expected starter David Collette quit two days before the season. Evans averages 9.2 points and 5.6 rebounds.
"Going into the year, I thought Lew would be versatile enough to help us at the four and five," Duryea said. "We were set at those positions, so I thought he would give us some depth. Then, when the change in our team happened, it forced Lew into playing five all the time. And five is not Lew's natural position. But he's done a good job."
Heading into Saturday's game versus Nevada at the Spectrum, Utah State is 11-8 overall and 3-5 in the league.
"We had high expectations and then things happened and we are where we are," said Evans. "We just have to keep getting better and we will. I think we're really close to going on a good run."
Twitter: @sluhm —
Nevada at Utah State
P At the Spectrum, Logan
Tipoff • 7 p.m.
TV • ROOT Sports
Radio • 610 AM, 1280 AM, 95.9 FM, 97.5 FM, 102.1 FM
Records • Utah State 11-8, 3-5; Nevada 12-8, 4-4
Series history • Utah State leads 35-15
Last meeting • Utah State, 75-62 (Feb. 10, 2015)
About the Aggies • They have lost five of their past seven games and are 7-4 at home. … They shoot 34.1 percent from the 3-point line. … Their top scorers are junior F Jalen Moore (14.8) and senior G Chris Smith (14.0). … They come off a 70-55 loss at San Diego State. … Against the Aztecs, Smith scored just two points on 1-for-10 shooting.
About the Wolf Pack • They come off a 57-54 loss to first-place San Diego State. … They rank last in the Mountain West in 3-point shooting (.272),but are second in steals (7.4) and blocked shots (5.3). … Top scorers are senior G Marqueze Coleman (17.8) and junior G D.J. Fenner (12.2). … This is Eric Musselman's first season as head coach.