Junior forward Kwame Evans Jr. has committed to Villanova men’s basketball out of the transfer portal, according to On3. Formerly at Oregon, Evans averaged 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game during his last season.
Evans spent three years at Oregon, and was the first of nine Ducks to enter the transfer portal. He is the first transfer that Kevin Willard has picked up since losing six players to the portal, including role players such as Acaden Lewis, Bryce Lindsay and Duke Brennan.
Evans started in all 30 games he appeared in and recorded four double-doubles last season. He also shot 46.5% from the field goal range, 31.9% from beyond the arc and 73.2% from the foul line.
Oregon finished with a final record of 12-20 last season and 15th overall in the Big Ten Conference, ahead of only Maryland and Penn State. The Ducks went 5-15 in conference play.
The former 5-star recruit comes from Baltimore MD, and played two years at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida. Evans was a top-20 prospect in the class of 2023 after leading Montverde to a National title during his junior year.
He received offers from Arizona, Auburn and Kentucky before committing to play for Oregon. Evans contributed early on, averaging 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game during his freshman year.
Villanova’s roster now contains six players, most notably, Tyler Perkins, who led the Wildcats with 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
After losing three big men, including Brennan, Nico Onyekwere and Brenden Pierce, Evan’s six-foot-ten stature will be a useful addition to the Wildcats, who are in desperate need of height.
Ohio State transfer Devin Royal took a visit to Villanova today. The junior forward averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Buckeyes last season.
Villanova will also host transfer portal guard DJ Wager on Tuesday. The six-foot-four junior averaged 7.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for Arkansas last season.
The NCAA men’s transfer portal will remain open until April 21, 2026. However, there is no hard deadline for players to commit to a school after entering.
