Hubert Davis Praises New Guard Kyan Evans as Key Piece for UNC’s 2025-26 Season

Hubert Davis Praises New Guard Kyan Evans as Key Piece for UNC’s 2025-26 Season

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.  A new era of North Carolina basketball is quietly taking shape in Chapel Hill, and one of the most intriguing names at the center of it is Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans.

Coming off a season where the Tar Heels showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately stumbled to a frustrating Round of 64 exit, head coach Hubert Davis knows there’s little margin for error heading into his fifth campaign. Much of that pressure falls on the backcourt, an area of major transition after the departures of Elliot Cadeau and Ian Jackson. That leaves only veteran Seth Trimble as a familiar face  and underscores why the addition of Evans was so critical.

On Tuesday afternoon, Davis couldn’t hold back his excitement when asked about his new guard.

“The versatility, just his ability to be able to make plays, whether it’s with the ball in his hand, coming off ball screens or off the ball actions, whether it’s flares or staggers or wide pins,” Davis said. “He’s an excellent defensive player, too. Him coming here not only brings a high level of skill from a basketball standpoint, but also experience. That’s something that we were looking for.”

And make no mistake  Evans’ experience matters. The 6-foot guard played a vital role in Colorado State’s 26-win season, where the Rams earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. His ability to control pace, knock down shots, and defend multiple positions made him one of the most coveted guards in the transfer portal.

For UNC, a program long known for its perimeter weapons, Evans’ shooting immediately raises the team’s ceiling. Last year, the Tar Heels finished 87th in the nation in 3-point percentage (35.6%), a number that often doomed their spacing against elite defenses. Evans? He connected on a scorching 44.6% from deep, one of the best clips in the Mountain West.

Davis emphasized that difference:

“The only way you can get good spacing is if you have good shooting. You can spread five guys across the floor, but if they can’t shoot, you’re going to see five defenders standing in the lane. You have to have guys that have the ability to shoot the basketball. And throughout his career, Kyan has been that guy.”

That skill set could prove transformative. With Evans stretching defenses, Trimble attacking off the bounce, and versatile forwards like Jarin Stevenson and Jonathan Powell filling the wings, UNC suddenly has the makings of a balanced, multi-dimensional attack.

The challenge, of course, is chemistry. New faces  including Evans, fellow transfers like Ivan Matlekovic and Henri Veesaar, and freshmen Isaiah Denis, Derek Dixon, and Caleb Wilson  will need time to mesh. Still, Davis believes Evans’ maturity will help speed up that process.

The Tar Heels will get their first real test of cohesion in late October, with preseason exhibitions against BYU and Winston-Salem State. But it’s November 3rd’s regular-season opener against Central Arkansas that will mark the official unveiling of this revamped UNC roster.

For now, Evans seems ready for the spotlight. His game checks all the boxes of what UNC basketball demands  skill, toughness, and the ability to perform when the lights shine brightest.

If he can keep drilling threes at the clip he showed in Fort Collins, Evans may not only elevate North Carolina back into ACC contention but could be the X-factor in pushing the Tar Heels toward another deep March run.

One thing is certain: Hubert Davis sees something special in his new guard. And if Evans lives up to that billing, the Dean Dome could once again roar like the Carolina faithful have long demanded.