As an early-entry candidate with an agent, Evans had few options. He had a modest college career, spending two seasons at Wichita State before transferring to Texas, where he averaged 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds last season.

"I felt like I was ready and felt like I could contribute to an NBA team," he said. "I understood the consequences of it. I made that decision, and I knew there was no turning back once I signed with an agent. I was very confident that I would get drafted. I don't know what happened."

Evans, however, remained convinced he belonged in the NBA, and he intended to prove his point. He had a successful summer league tryout with the Timberwolves and signed a free-agent contract in July.

"You can take it one of two ways: You can let it break you or you can make something out of this opportunity," he said.

Wolves coach Flip Saunders said the one thing that caught his eye was Evans' athleticism. At 6-5, 220 pounds, Evans possesses a valuable combination of size, strength and explosiveness. Saunders said the fact that Evans went undrafted had no bearing on his evaluation.

"He made an impact with the way he played this summer," Saunders said. "When you step on the floor, they don't check your ID."