K. Evans, No. 2 recruit in ’23, commits to Oregon

Kwame Evans, the No. 2-ranked senior in the country, told ESPN he has committed to Oregon.

Evans chose the Ducks over a final list that also included Arizona, Auburn and Kentucky. He also took an official visit to UCF in late July, but his recruitment was long considered a battle between Oregon and Arizona. Dana Altman made Evans a priority during the July evaluation period and was a staple at his games all month.

“I chose Oregon because I feel like it fits me the best and gives me the best chance to go to the NBA,” Evans said. “It felt like family since day one.”

Altman and the Ducks have now landed a five-star prospect in three consecutive classes, following Nate Bittle (2021) and Kel’el Ware (2022).

“I want to play for Dana Altman because he is a good coach and can help me develop into a great player,” Evans said. “He made it feel like family when I went up there. That was very important to me.”

A 6-foot-9 forward from Maryland who plays at Montverde Academy (Florida), Evans is ranked behind only D.J. Wagner in the 2023 class. He averaged 10.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 24 games with Team Durant this spring and summer.

Evans has been a factor in the national high school basketball discussion since his freshman year. His frame, advanced shooting ability, passing and handling and his functional athletic ability have been his staples. He is a floor spacer with great positional size. He has demonstrated inside scoring touch and outside shooting prowess for a long time. He is versatile at driving the ball against bigger defenders or posting up like-sized opponents. His passing accuracy and willingness to distribute makes him an even more valuable offensive player. His finesse and length in tight spots with quick scoring decisions are impressive.

In today’s game, Evans projects as a forward playing either a small-ball power forward spot or as a big wing. He can be part of any five-out offense or a four-out, one-in and be effective from almost anywhere. There are times he is a high-level rebounder, but he needs to make attacking the glass a priority from any place on the floor. He could be a major asset defensively when engaged.

Evans is the second commitment for Oregon in its 2023 class, following ESPN 100 point guard Jackson Shelstad. The Ducks also had a pledge from top-10 prospect Mookie Cook, but he decommitted in early July. There has growing speculation over the last couple weeks, however, that Cook remains heavily interested in Oregon and the Ducks could even be the favorite to land his commitment for a second time.