Playing for a nationally ranked, top-50 team in the country, you are going to get noticed. Evan Mahaffey is leading Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) in assists, steals and blocks this season and he is second in rebounding, and that type of production is what will get you offers, which have started to come for Mahaffey

“I currently have offers from Miami (OH), Western Carolina, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, Xavier, West Virginia and Kansas State. In no particular order, I hear from Xavier, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and West Virginia a lot.”

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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

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Mahaffey went through some of his thoughts about the four schools who are contacting him the most…

West Virginia: “Their program is great; they are defensive minded and Coach Huggins’ profile speaks for itself”

Cincinnati: “It’s my hometown college and they have been talking about how I would fit in their offense which is really cool. They are changing the culture, which I love.”

Xavier: “They are also like a hometown team for me. Coach Steele and his staff are doing a great job and it shows in their record. They have also compared me to other guys who they have had in the past, and I like how they can use me.”

Virginia Tech: “They are on a roll now and their system is really working well. I like how they play.”

While they have not offered, one school is in consistent contact who has caught his eye.

“I have talked to Virginia a couple times recently, they said they liked how I play, and they will remain in contact.”

Even though Mahaffey is talking about recruiting, ending the process is not at the forefront of the junior’s mind just yet.

“I am focused on my high school season right now, so after the season ends, I will look deeper into my recruitment. Things are going well; I’m just enjoying it right now.”

While he is not really focused on making a decision and is currently enjoying the process, he has done some introspective thinking about what style of play would fit his skill set.

“I think I play an up-tempo style, but I can also slow the game down and do what we need to do in order for the team to get the best shot. I can create shots for others as well as create my own shot and I would say I am a defender who can guard multiple positions.” Mahaffey continued, “I honestly think I can play in any system because I can adjust well to play different styles.”

This summer was an interesting one for everyone. There was uncertainty surrounding team sports, but with that Mahaffey was still able to get into the gym and work on his game leading into the high school season.

“The summer was definitely different. Not knowing if we were going to be playing AAU or not, I was trying to be in the gym as much as possible. The main things I was working on this summer was my physical build and my shot.”

However, now that they are playing, the FAB50 has the 10-2 Archbishop Moeller team ranked 38th in the country. Mahaffey has some goals set for himself as this season is entering league play.

“My main goal is really to make this year as enjoyable as possible for the seniors. We really want to win state, but we also really want to grow as a team. We are starting league play here soon and heading into a good stretch of the season that will test us.”

It should come as no surprise with Mahaffey’s talent, athletic genes run in his blood. His father, Jamie Mahaffey played at Miami (OH) for four years where the 6-6 forward averaged 12.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game his senior season. His sister Danielle Mahaffey is a junior on the Tennessee volleyball team.

When asked would his lineage give Miami (OH) or Tennessee a leg up if they were to recruit him hard, he responded with a simple, “Maybe…”

Mahaffey is a player who really knows how to play the game, and it is this natural IQ that allows him to be a jack of all trades type of wing. Offensively, his teammates do a great job cutting off him in the half court, as he has good court awareness. Mahaffey is also a great cutter himself, often finding himself with wide open layups in half court sets. Defensively, he is able to use his athleticism, length and competitive nature to defend up and down a lineup. The fact his dad was an accomplished college player makes sense, as Mahaffey just has that knack.