A half decade after making a name for themselves on Morrissey Boulevard, Carl Pierre and Travis Evee are having one final dream season together.
Pierre and Evee, two former 1,000-point scorers at BC High and longtime friends, have teamed up again this winter at Rice University to enjoy one final season on the hardwood. The duo that became one of the more unstoppable backcourts in Massachusetts during Pierre’s senior season in 2017 is showcasing some of that same brilliance once again for the Owls.
“It’s been a lot of fun just playing together again,” Pierre said. “Being around teammates and coaching staff combined with the fact that I have a familiar face here has made a huge difference.”
Carl and Travis both grew up in Randolph, played for Metro Boston on the AAU circuit, and attended BC High. The two came into their own together for the first time during the 2015 high school season when Pierre as a sophomore and Evee as a freshman made the varsity team for the first time. While the Eagles faltered, the two learned the varsity ropes together, overcoming midseason struggles and learning to adapt to the pace of the game. They spent hours together in the offseason and before school in the gym helping one another refine their craft.
“We would always be together playing basketball,” Evee said. “We just became more comfortable with one another and got a good idea of what made each of us succeed on the court.”
Over time the two became nearly unstoppable with both averaging over 20 points per game and 40% from 3-point land. Evee transitioned into a point guard with a scorer’s mentality and Pierre a triple threat on the wing. Following high school, Evee went on to do a postgraduate year at Vermont Academy and had a successful freshman collegiate season at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). The seeds were planted for the two to play together when Evee transferred to Rice prior to his sophomore season in 2020.
After Pierre spent the past four years as a sharpshooter for UMass, the former Boston Herald Dream-Team selection entered his name into the transfer portal in an effort to find a different destination for his final year of eligibility. Throughout his time with the Minutemen, Pierre maintained a strong relationship with Evee centered around basketball. When home for break they would meet up in the gym or outside, competing against one another, and while Pierre received a wide variety of interest, including from the likes of Iowa and Georgia, there was never really a question on where he would spend his final season playing college basketball.
“It was always going to be a pretty easy decision,” Pierre said. “Travis and I had talked about playing together again just jokingly over text and call the last few years but once it became a real possibility there was never really any doubt.”
Still, Evee wanted to be sure his former high school teammate was headed south.
“There were definitely some phone calls made,” Evee laughed.
The effort to get Pierre to Rice and to team up with Evee certainly has paid off for the Owls. Pierre is averaging 15 points and four rebounds per game while shooting 47% from the field. On Jan. 10, he was named Conference USA Player of the Week. Evee, meanwhile, is shining once again this season. A season after winning Conference USA Newcomer of the Year, he, too, is averaging 15 points per game and knocking down 40% of his shots from beyond the arc.
“It feels like we never stopped playing with one another,” Evee said. “The chemistry is just there and it feels right getting the chance to play with Carl again.”
Pierre and Evee enjoyed their fair share of team success on the court at BC High. The two reached the sectional semifinals twice and won 20 games as well as a Catholic Conference title in 2016-17. They are hoping to replicate similar successes at Rice. After the Owls failed to get above .500 for three consecutive seasons, they went 15-13 in Evee’s first season last year. They currently sit two games above .500 yet again with the regular season set to come to a close next week.
Most of all, however, the two are just trying to enjoy each other for one final season together on the court knowing it’s likely the last time they will share the ball.
“This is a lot of fun and I came here knowing I would be comfortable,” Pierre said. “I’m just looking to enjoy this time playing basketball as much as possible.”
