Kwame Evans Jr., a freshman power forward for the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team, will return to Oregon for the 2024-25 season. Evans announced the news Tuesday morning on Twitter.
After the Ducks lost Creighton in the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament and their season came to a close, Evans left his future at Oregon ambiguous, telling Oregonian reporter James Crepea that it was “hard to tell,” what his future looked like.
Evans was a key player for the Ducks throughout last season, and he could be even more impactful going forward. As a freshman, Evans averaged 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, while also averaging more than one steal and one block each game.
In 2023-24, Evans did experience some struggles finding consistency in his game. Smoked layups and defensive breakdowns weren’t uncommon for the freshman. But what has never been in doubt is Evans’ talent and potential to grow. Even from the start of the season to the end, Evans transformed his game, and there’s no cap on what he can do going forward.
Evans came to Oregon as a 5-star recruit in the class of 2023, and he was joined by Jackson Shelstad and Mookie Cook — two Portland natives who were also highly sought after in their recruiting class. Shelstad and Cook have both announced their intent to return to Eugene in the fall, and now that the trio of elite recruits has a year of experience, Oregon could be a dangerous team come fall.