Category: Men’s Basketball

Kwame Evans Jr. announces return to Oregon for 2024-25 season

Big-time returner for the Ducks in 2024.

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.

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Legislation that grants immediate availability to multi-time transfers approved on Monday

Effective immediately, players who transfer will be immediately eligible at their new schools regardless of whether they have transferred before.

In a Monday vote, the NCAA Division I Board approved a motion that grants immediate eligibility for players who transfer for a second time.

The Division I Council already approved the suggestion last week, meaning Monday’s vote was the last step in the ratification process.

The new eligibility rules went into effect immediately, so if the Blue Devils pursue any players who have already transferred this offseason, head coach Jon Scheyer doesn’t need to worry about legislation snags. After commitments from former Purdue guard Mason Gillis and former Syracuse forward Maliq Brown, the Blue Devils coach still has three scholarship spots left to fill.

The new rule also applies to the seven former Duke players who left the program this offseason. For example, if Mark Mitchell decides he wants to leave Missouri after a season, he’ll be free to do so.

Stanford transfer F Brandon Angel commits to Oregon

Big-time transfer pick up for the Ducks.

It was bound to happen at some point.

After losing several key rotation players to the transfer portal this offseason, the Oregon Ducks have finally made an addition from the portal: Brandon Angel, a fifth-year forward from Stanford, according to a report from 24/7 High School Hoops.

In 2023, Angel averaged 13 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, per game. From the field last season, Angel shot 56.7% on eight attempts per game and 44.8% from three on 2,5 attempts per game. As a scorer, Angel consistently hits his catch-and-shoot threes and is an excellent finisher.

With the Ducks losing center N’Faly Dante this offseason, the addition of Angel is a big one, and it will give the Ducks multiple big men options next season. At 6’8″ and 210 lbs., Angel can hopefully be an impact player on the defensive side of the floor as well as on offense. His 0.9 defensive win shares last was the second most on the Cardinal.

 

Andrej Stojakovic, one of Angel’s teammates at Stanford last year, is another player in the portal who’s been tied to Oregon. Stojakovic has yet to announce his commitment, but now, coming to the Ducks would offer him the chance to reunite with his former teammate.

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Duke in the running for former Dayton guard Koby Brea

According to a Monday report from On3’s Jamie Shaw, the Blue Devils are one of five contenders for former Dayton guard Koby Brea.

The Blue Devils aren’t done in the transfer portal.

According to a Monday report from On3’s Jamie Shaw, former Dayton guard Koby Brea listed Duke among one of his final five options.

As a junior last season, Brea averaged 11.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-6 New York native shot 49.8% from beyond the arc, by far the best season of his career.

He scored 20 points in two different games last season, first a 22-point night against SMU in November before a 21-point game against Saint Louis in March. He averaged 14.5 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.

Brea has played in 113 games across the last four seasons, but he’s only started 21 times.

After the commitments of Syracuse forward Maliq Brown and Purdue guard Mason Gillis, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer still has three additional scholarships to dole out in the portal. One of them could be going to the former Flyer.

Brea is also reportedly considering Kansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, and two-time defending national champion Connecticut.

Duke lands Purdue transfer Mason Gillis

Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils have landed their second transfer addition after former Purdue forward Mason Gillis announced his commitment to Duke.

Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils have landed their second transfer addition of the offseason.

Former Purdue forward Mason Gillis announced his commitment to Duke on Monday afternoon, per Joe Tipton of On3 Sports.

Gillis played four seasons at Purdue after redshirting in 2019-20. He was named the Big 10 6th Man of the Year for his play this past season when he averaged 6.5 points and shot 46.8% from beyond the arc.

In his 39 games across the 2023-24 season, he also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, and he shot 47.9% from the floor for the campaign.

The pairing seemed like a long time coming after fans noticed Gillis followed the Blue Devils on Instagram last week. Multiple 247Sports experts gave Crystal Ball predictions that the former Boilermaker would pick Duke.

Gillis brings a veteran guard presence to a Duke squad, having played 132 career games across his collegiate career at Purdue. As of Monday afternoon, Tyrese Proctor is the only other upperclassman in Duke’s backcourt.

Gillis is rated as a four-star transfer, according to 247Sports’ Transfer Portal rankings.

He joins former Syracuse forward Maliq Brown as the second commitment to the Blue Devils this cycle. Head coach Jon Scheyer still has three open scholarship spots as he tries to replace Duke’s 10 departures.

Duke basketball signee Isaiah Evans shares photo of him and Cooper Flagg at Jordan Brand Classic

Evans, a five-star recruit, shared a photo of him and future Duke teammate Cooper Flagg from the Jordan Brand Classic on Monday.

Isaiah Evans and Cooper Flagg played on different teams during Sunday’s Jordan Brand Classic in Brooklyn, but they’re clearly excited to play together in Durham this fall.

On Monday morning, Evans shared a photo of the two standing together during the game on social media.

Flagg scored 19 points and came down with 10 rebounds during the showcase, but Evans and Team Flight came away with the victory.

Evans and Flagg, two of the six stellar freshmen in Duke’s top-ranked 2024 recruiting class, already have plenty of experience with each other. They played on the same team at the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Nike Hoop Summit before they squared off in Sunday’s game.

In fact, during the Hoop Summit, they went viral after Flagg set Evans up for a dunk and jumped in the air as Evans threw down the jam. Evans tweeted about that moment, too.

Florida basketball rises in CBS Sports rankings after transfer portal additions

Florida is losing a few players to the pros and graduation, but Todd Golden is making enough moves in the portal to keep the Gators ranked.

Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden has stayed busy during the current transfer portal period, and the Gators are on the rise in the CBS Sports rankings because of it.

CBS Sports insider Gary Parrish updated his Top 25 And 1 rankings Sunday night, following a flurry of key transfer additions across the country, and the Gators moved up four spots to No. 17 in the nation. The main reason for the jump is the portal additions of former Florida Atlantic guard Alijah Martin and Chattanooga forward Sam Alexis.

Both Alexis and Martin should compete for significant minutes, and perhaps starting roles. Florida returns a good group of players too, though, including two starting guards — Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard. Both are testing draft waters, but they are expected to return unless they get high evaluation grades.

Golden is only losing three players that factored into the rotation last season. Tyrese Samuel’s presence will be missed down low, especially with Micah Handlogten recovering from a gruesome leg injury, and Zyon Pullin was an All-SEC talent who ran out of college eligibility.

There’s also guard Riley Kugel, who had draft buzz at this time a year ago but fell out of favor under Golden at Florida. He has entered the portal and committed to Kansas, which sits at the top of CBS Sports’ rankings.

Florida is also losing redshirt sophomore forward Aleks Szymczyk, who missed the entire season with an injury.

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Gators earn commitment from former FAU standout via transfer portal

Todd Golden adds his third transfer of the spring as the Gators’ roster continues to round out.

Add another transfer portal coup to Florida basketball’s list of offseason achievements.

On Sunday, the Gators got a pledge from former Florida Atlantic Owls combo guard [autotag]Alijah Martin[/autotag] — not long after announcing his entrance into the portal on Saturday night on Twitter. The news of him going the Orange and Blue was also announced on his personal Twitter account just before noon ET.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound graduate is Todd Golden’s third transfer to commit this spring, joining former Washington State Cougars forward Rueben Chinyelu and former Chattanooga Mocs forward Sam Alexis. The Summit, Mississippi, native has one year of eligibility remaining to use in Gainesville.

In his final season at FAU, Martin averaged 13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 41.4% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc; he also shot 75% from the charity stripe. On the defensive side, he ranked No. 165 in steal percentage, snagging 56 in 2023-24 along with nine blocks; he grabbed 201 total rebounds, with 50 coming on offensive and the other 151 on defense boards.

His skill set and pedigree suggest that he will mesh quite well with the current roster, much like Zyon Pullin last season, but with some added defensive chops as well. Martin is the 107th-ranked prospect and 15th-ranked combo guard in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

When and how to watch Cooper Flagg, other Duke commits at the Jordan Brand Classic

Cooper Flagg and four other fellow Duke signees lace up their shoes for Sunday’s Jordan Brand Classic. Check out when and where you can watch here.

Duke fans can get another sneak peek of the 2024-25 Duke men’s basketball team on Sunday night.

All five U.S.-based Blue Devils signees for the incoming Class of 2024, including top-ranked prospect Cooper Flagg, are on the roster for the Jordan Brand Classic. The exhibition pits some of the best high school basketball players in the country against each other.

Flagg, Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel, Darren Harris, and Patrick Ngongba will all be at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the game. The boy’s game tips off at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday evening, and fans can watch either through the NBA app or on the NBA YouTube channel.

Flagg already impressed scouts and fans alike at a similar showcase, the Nike Hoop Summit, last week. He put up a 19-point double-double to help Team USA to a comfortable victory.

Based on reactions to Saturday’s practice sessions, Duke fans can expect a similar performance this weekend.

Duke signee Isaiah Evans ranked as Charlotte’s best high school men’s player in 40 years

The Charlotte Observer considers Duke signee Isaiah Evans, the two-time North Carolina Mr. Basketball winner, the city’s best high school player from the last four decades

The Charlotte area hasn’t seen many players like Duke signee Isaiah Evans. In fact, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Langston Wertz Jr., there hasn’t been a better men’s high school basketball player from the city in four decades.

Evans, the No. 12 player in the Class of 2024 according to 247Sports, led North Mecklenburg to a state title as a senior after the Vikings finished with a 30-3 record. He was recently named North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball for a second straight season.

Evans, who was also named the Gatorade North Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Year, averaged 27.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. He was honored as a MaxPreps First-Team All-American alongside future teammate Cooper Flagg.

The future Blue Devil should quickly endear himself to the Cameron Crazies. He’s already gone viral for jawing at UNC fans at one of his high school games, and he cracked a joke about Tar Heels starter Cormac Ryan’s age during media availability ahead of the McDonald’s All-American Game.