Boys district basketball: Adin Evert can do it all for Brunswick

Not long after the Brunswick boys basketball team's 2024-25 season ended with a heartbreaking 64-62 district final loss to Toledo Whitmer, veteran Blue Devils coach Joe Mackey huddled with Adin Evert, at the time a sophomore role player. The message was simple: If we're going to continue to excel, you have to get a lot better. Evert, who knew someone had to fill the void that would be created by the graduation of 6-foot-6 All-Gazette center Aidan Shaker, took that challenge to heart. "I was the first person Coach Mackey talked to after the season ended," the 6-3, 180-pounder said. "He said if we were going to be good, I had to make a huge jump. I was focused all offseason on improving offensively and defensively." Evert has certainly done that. As Brunswick (21-3) prepares to play Elyria (18-6) in a Division I, Region 1 semifinal Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the University of Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena, the 17-year-old has blossomed in a junior season that has seen him lead the Blue Devils in rebounds (8.8 per game), assists (4.1) and blocks (1.2) while ranking second in steals (1.8) and third in scoring (9.7). He's not only doing that while playing against much bigger players as a pass-first center — or the closest thing undersized Brunswick has to a center — he also is among the team leaders in field goal percentage (.547, 80-148), 3-point percentage (.488, 42-86) and free throw percentage (.906, 29-32). "He does a little bit of everything for us," Mackey said. "I said before the season that for us to be successful he would have to improve immensely, and he's done that. He's been as consistent as consistent can be. He shows up every day, including practice, and he has a very high basketball IQ. He understands, accepts and plays his role to perfection." Evert's primary responsibilities are defending an opposing big man, crashing the boards and getting the ball to Sean Barnett, who has scored 65 points in two tournament games with the Blue Devils minus 26.5-point scorer Trey Drexler due to a broken wrist. Prior to Drexler's injury, he also was on the receiving end of many Evert passes. "The people in the stands, not everyone looks at Adin or sees what he does," Barnett said. "He does all the little things. He grabs rebounds, he dishes it out at the right time and he defends. He just wants to do everything possible to help us win. "He's stepped up, for sure. Last year we had Shaker rebounding for us, but Adin filled his shoes perfectly. He took a great step forward and grabbed more rebounds than Shaker ever did. To accomplish that in his junior year is amazing." Evert, who averaged 2.3 points as a sophomore starter, has a four-word philosophy when it comes to rebounding: See ball, get ball. "Every time down, I give 100% effort," he said. "Wherever the ball goes, that's where I'm going. Whoever is boxing me out, I try to go around them and get the ball." Though his primary responsibility on offense is to get the ball to Barnett and, before his injury, Drexler, Evert also has made great strides when it comes to scoring. "It's a lot more fun," he said. "Last year was a lot of fun, too, but this year I'm so much more involved. There's more pressure on me, which I like a lot. I've got more teammates relying on me to do the things we need to do to win. That's what I like about it." Evert entered the season with a strained hip flexor sustained while playing wide receiver for the football team, but an outsider wouldn't have noticed. He had a number of games early on where he grabbed 12 or more boards, which hasn't been as necessary now that Barnett and others have improved in that area. "Rebounding is such an important statistic, and it's usually tough guys who want to win that get rebounds," Mackey said. "That's Adin. He values winning. He's everything our culture is about. He does not care how many points he scores. He just wants to win, and that attitude rubs off on everyone else. There's no way we would have accomplished what we have without Adin." Included in those accomplishments was winning the extremely rugged Greater Cleveland Conference for the second straight season. It was the first time Brunswick won consecutive league titles since the Ohio High School Athletic Association began sponsoring boys basketball in 1922-23. The way Evert looks at it, the Blue Devils might as well continue winning in the postseason. "There's so many people doubting us without (Drexler)," he said. "I kind of like it, because we can surprise people. I think we can keep surprising people until we get to the final four or maybe even the state championship. "It's been so much fun. I love celebrating with my team, because these guys are my brothers. It's great seeing all the hard work we put in pay off." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com.