The Louisville Cardinals basketball program was dealt another big blow on Thursday evening when the team released a statement indicating true freshman center Dennis Evans is no longer medically cleared to compete.
“Freshman center Dennis Evans will not be medically cleared to compete at the University of Louisville moving forward. We are disappointed by the news and will not be releasing any additional information out of respect for Dennis’ privacy,” the statement read.
Evans missed the team’s last six games with a shoulder injury, with coach Kenny Payne describing his status as day-to-day despite the 7’1 big man not making the trip to Charlottesville earlier this week.
A report from the Courier-Journal indicates Evans is still part of the program but is not currently on campus, and that the institution will honor his scholarship if he wishes to continue academically at Louisville.
Evans was a monster addition for the Cardinals, coming in as the No. 11 ranked recruit in the Class of 2023 at Rivals, thanks in large part to his 7’7 wingspan and 9’8 standing reach.
He never quite got off the ground under coach Payne, however, appearing in seven games and making five starts but only averaging 1.6 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per contest.
In fact, seven of his 11 points, two of his six rebounds, and two of his five blocks came in his first game on November 6 against UMBC.
