Ryan Evans, who earlier this month made an oral commitment to play for the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team beginning next season, made that commitment binding Wednesday when he signed a National Letter of Intent.

That act allowed Badgers coach Bo Ryan to comment publicly about Evans -- a 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward from Chandler, Ariz. -- for the first time.

"We are very excited to have Ryan joining our basketball program," Ryan said in a news release. "We believe he is just scratching the surface in terms of his potential in the future. His length and athleticism combined with his court savvy and dynamic personality make him a great fit at the University of Wisconsin.

Evans, who averaged 19.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as a senior, is the fifth member of UW's 2008 recruiting class, joining guards Jordan Taylor and Robert Wilson and centers Jared Berggren and Ian Markolf.

"He was able to visit campus in late February and watch us clinch the Big Ten title versus Penn State," Ryan said of Evans. "That experience helped him fall in love with the Kohl Center and the Badger fans. He was obviously here on a very special night and wants to be a part of similar success in the future. Discovering late-bloomers, individuals with their best basketball in front of them and finding student-athletes who understand what type of commitment it takes to be successful both academically and athletically at Wisconsin have always been key components of our recruiting strategy and we feel Ryan will really develop into a very good player with continued hard work."