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Yates, a 6-foot-5 guard from Lucasville, Ohio, averaged 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals per game as a senior at Valley High School. He also shot 47 percent from the field, 36 percent from three-point range, and 70 percent at the free throw line. He was a two-time All-Southern Ohio Conference First Team selection and was named to the All-District First Team and the All-Ohio Special Mention Team as a senior.

"We are excited to have landed Evan,” said MVNU head coach Scott Flemming. "He has a tremendous amount of potential. Being a three-sport athlete, I am anxious to see how he progresses when he focuses on just one sport. He is a bigger guard that can drive to the basket or shoot the perimeter shot. Evan is also a great young man, who will represent us well in the classroom, on campus, and in the community.”

In addition to playing basketball, Yates was also a standout at Valley in football and baseball. He was also a member of National Honor Society.

"MVNU was the college that I felt most comfortable with,” said Yates of his college choice. "I was welcomed with open arms. On my college visit, I was treated as if I had been attending MVNU for four years even though it was my first time on campus.”

The Cougars posted a 23-13 overall record in 2003-2004 to mark the seventh time in the past eight years that the team has topped the 20-win mark. MVNU also finished tied for second in the highly competitive American Mideast Conference South Division with a 13-3 mark, and the Cougars advanced to the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament for the third straight year where the team lost in the national championship game to finish as the national runner-up. MVNU also finished the season ranked 24th in the final NAIA Division II national poll.