We first observed Nicholas Evtimov in 2013 at the NC Junior Phenom Camp. We wrote, “Nicholas comes from an excellent inheritance of basketball tradition. His father (6’10 Vassil Evtimov) played at the University of North Carolina and his uncle played at NC State. His basketball IQ is off the charts for his age/grade and simply knows what to do with the ball when he gets his hands on it. He is very skilled offensively and his footwork in the paint is exceptional.” With Nicholas, what you see today is not the finished product.
What separates Nicholas at this early stage in his development is his advanced fundamentals. He has a high basketball IQ and is so crafty around the rim. Coach Kelvin Mills of Phenom Hoop Report stated, “Nicholas is unique because his game is so fundamentally sound. It is rare to watch a young player with his size make such an immediate impact.” Coach Ron Murphy of Team United stated, “Nicholas works hard all over the court. He has high-level footwork and uses his hips and shoulders to create space. He is also a really good passer from the low post.”
At the recent Summer Havoc, Nicholas and his Team United 2019 were playing two age groups up in a tough 16U division. Nicholas is the ultimate team player. He works extremely hard on the interior. He battles for low post position and has excellent footwork and passer friendly hands. Once he established low post position, he has the ability to make post moves with his nifty footwork over bigger and more athletic players. We particularly like his ability to pass out of the low post and re-establish low post position. Unlike many low post players, he is a willing passer and is so unselfish. In addition, Nicholas plays within the team structure and plays his role extremely well.
While Nicholas is already one of the better players in his class, we strongly feel he is only in the infant stages of his longterm development. He will have the size and skill set to play at a very high level and he is only beginning to scratch the surface on his potential.