And then you meet the 5-foot-10, 155-pound Joiner and that picture is shattered.

He’s a raw bundle of athletic ability who collects 1.2 more rebounds per game (8.8) than 6-7 teammate Isaiah Martin, blocks more shots than 6-3 Isaiah Miles, and leads the Yellow Jackets in 3-point percentage (44 percent) for those who have taken more than two (he is 7-of-16).

“He’s having a huge year for us,” Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said. “Evan’s just an unbelievable athlete, Just a tremendous jumper, great quickness, and unbelievable motor.”

Joiner says there are no tricks to his swiping more rebounds than most big men he plays with or against. Unlike many guards, he doesn’t cheat out on fast breaks to get an easy layup on the other end or hover around the 3-point line for a quick outlet pass. When a shot goes up, he zips right into the lane as if he belongs with the taller post players.

“It’s just hard work, timing, timing,” said Joiner, who leads the team with 16.4 points per game as of Monday. “I rely on my athleticism a lot. That’s how I feel my flow. It’s tough. It’s a lot of will.”

The all-around production from Joiner hasn’t surprised Glick. He oversaw summer workouts with assistant coach Kevin Walker and took note of Joiner’s work ethic, and that he went “harder than 90 percent of the guys in the league.”

“Nothing he’s done has taken us by surprise,” the coach said. “He’s improved his outside shooting but also his body. He’s always been a great athlete but he’s really bought into the speed and agility weight lifting program. Rarely do you see your best athlete spending the most time with the speed and agility training. He went from a great athlete to an outstanding athlete.”

Joiner grew tired of the hype machine promoting fellow 3A/2A/1A guards such as Dion Wiley, Randall Broddie and Davon Taylor, all Division I-bound recruits who receive a lot of attention from opposing defenses. The low profile he retained translated into a relentless summer workout regimen which has subsequently translated into his becoming Gwynn Parks’ ubiquitous playmaker.

“I took no days off, really,” he said. “I just took it one day at a time. A week or so into [summer workouts], I could feel myself getting into better shape. Last season I didn’t have to do that as much as I do this year so I had to prepare myself.”

In the weight room, he concentrated on plyometrics, box step-ups with dumbbells in hand, core work, and lunges — the essential ingredients for an increased vertical and a quickened step. On the basketball court, Joiner took to the 3-point line, his self-admitted biggest weakness heading into this season, but still begins games from the inside-out, first attacking the rim, then stretching the defense beyond the arc.

“He has a high Division I athletic ability,” Glick said. “He plays with reckless abandon. He just plays harder than most guys. I would just say his motor — his motor and athletic ability — that’s what’s going to stand out.”

Colby Community College, located in Colby, Kansas and, according to Glick, one of the top junior colleges for basketball, sent a representative to Gwynn Park’s Dec. 19 matchup with Potomac. The Yellow Jackets lost, 69-49, and Joiner had one of his lowest outputs of the season (14 points, four rebounds). He was offered on the spot.

“Some kids level out, other kids continue to improve,” Glick said. “Evan spends a lot of time on his game. He’s continued to improve. We’ve been really, really happy with him.”

tmewhirter@gazette.net