Hoops star chooses UW-La Crosse

One of the most prolific scorers in the history of Port Washington High School basketball has decided where he will attend college.

Senior Evan Lilly will play at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse next season.

“It’s definitely a weight off my shoulders,” Lilly said of choosing an institution for higher education.

Lilly is no stranger to the campus or the area. His older sister Kelsey graduated a few years ago.

“My parents love it there too,” he said.

Evan chose UW-La Crosse because of its reputation and what it afforded him.

“It is known for being a good academic school, and it has given me the opportunity to play basketball at a high level,” he said.

Lilly played at a high level in high school, becoming the seventh player in the history of Port High’s program to score more than 1,000 points while setting records in three-point shooting.

Lilly played on the varsity team all four years of high school and this year made the talented North Shore Conference’s third team.

He set the single-season record for three-pointers with 62 and the career mark with 199.

He broke the career record in fewer games than the previous holder, Tim Setzer, a 1992 graduate, who had 135.

Setzer also had the single-season record of 59 three-pointers.

In addition, Lilly stepped up to be Port’s leader this season, after nine seniors graduated last year. As a junior, Lilly played a key role in helping the Pirates reach the Division 2 sectional semifinal before falling to eventual champion Nicolet.

This season, Lilly took on a new role.

“He did his best to lead by example, to show the younger players to take care of your grades, take care of offseason work,” coach Brian Hebein said. “He was a great role model for our program.”

Despite being the focal point of opponents’ defenses, Lilly averaged 15.5 points per game. He went 42-for-49 on free throws.

Lilly eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his final game and finished his career with 1,012.

The three-point line in college is a couple of feet farther from the basket, but Lilly said he thinks he can handle that adjustment just fine.

Coaches have sent a few things for Lilly to do to prepare for the season. Freshmen usually attend a camp during summer to introduce them to the campus and the team, but Lilly said that is on hold for now due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He is preparing the best he can under the circumstances.

“I’ve got a hoop in the driveway so I’m doing as much as I possibly can right now,” he said.

Lilly said he likes UW-La Crosse’s fourth-year coach Kent Dernbach, who led the team to a 21-6 record last season. In 2019, the Eagles received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

“In the time he has been there, he’s definitely created a winning culture,” Lilly said.

Lilly expects to play either shooting guard or small forward.

He plans to major in biology with a pre-med focus.

Now, Lilly is finishing high school studies online and staying in touch with friends via technology after Gov. Tony Evers ordered schools to be shuttered for the school year.

“It’s definitely something we’ve seen before. It’s weird, but with all the technology and visual stuff we have today it’s manageable,” he said.