DOMINATING Justin Perry
Junior guard Frank Eaves rises up to lead Mountaineers
by Brooks Maynard Intern Sports Reporter
A
t the beginning of the season, App State men’s basketball faced many questions. Head coach Jim Fox was entering his first year in the position after spending 13 years as an assistant and associate head coach at Davidson College, the team lost seven contributing players for various reasons and had a complete overhaul of the assistant
coaching staff. With so many question marks and new faces, the team needed guys to step up. In particular, the team needed an explosive guard to fill the void that former point guard Mike Neal left behind. This season, junior guard Frank Eaves has answered all of those questions with an exclamation point at the end. After being a quiet contributor as a freshman, Eaves increased his numbers even more as a sophomore. In fact,
it seemed success was to come for Eaves from the beginning as he scored 16 points in his collegiate debut against Montreat in 2012 – the most points by a freshman in his first game since Kellan Brand’s 19 against North Greenville in 2006. This year as a junior, the Greensboro native has truly come into his own. Eaves leads the team in several different statistical categories, including scoring, free throws, steals and minutes. He averages 18.1 points and 3.9
rebounds in just over 33 minutes per game. Eaves has doubled his minutes and rebounds per game and more than tripled his points per game from last season. The Mountaineers recent success during a four-game winning streak has been largely thanks to Eaves, as well. In App State’s most recent win over Texas State, Eaves set a career-high with 31 points.
SEE EAVES PAGE 4
Paper Diamond brings the bass to Legends by Liz Flamming Intern A&E Reporter
High-energy electronic artist Paper Diamond brings the electronic dance music scene to Legends on Wednesday, accompanied by artists Torro Torro and Nadastrom. In a 2013 interview with The Huffington Post, Paper Diamond, whose real name is Alex Botwin, described himself as a “sponge,” soaking up many genres from trap to jazz, in an effort to produce something people have never experi-
enced before. Since that interview, Paper Diamond has continued to grow as an up-andcoming electronic artist, playing at popular music festivals such as CounterPoint festival in Atlanta and Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee. “Paper Diamond is getting pretty big,” said Zach Britt, senior music industries major and Appalachian Popular Programming Society concerts chairperson. “I’ve seen [him] a couple of times and [he] put on an incredible
show. The production in itself is very, very impressive.” Britt said he expects the turnout at Wednesday’s concert to be fairly high-similar to the attendance for other electronic groups that come through Legends, such as Mimosa and Cherub. The concert, Britt said, will include an elaborate light production, which will be for people who want to come out and dance. Sophomore elementary education major Kate
Weaver said she will be attending the concert and looks forward to coming out and dancing. She saw Paper Diamond at Bonnaroo music festival in 2013, and described the show as “awesomely intense.” Weaver said Paper Diamond’s Bonnaroo show included various clips from other rap and trap artists and a heavy bass. While Weaver admits the EDM scene in Boone is a small one, she said shows like Paper Diamond at Legends bring people together. “Through concerts I
have met so many people who are into that scene,” Weaver said. Weaver hopes the show will attract a large number of Appalachian State University students and increase the size of the passionate and dedicated Appalachian EDM scene. Tickets for Paper Diamond with Torro Torro and Nadastrom are on sale for $15 for students in advance and $18 dollars for the public and at the door. The show is BYOB and is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Wednesday.