It didn’t take long for Kyan Evans, the transfer guard from Colorado State, to realize what countless players before him have said for decades — there is simply something different about Chapel Hill. You hear it whispered by alumni, celebrated by coaches, and embraced by fans, but when you arrive and begin to live it, that’s when it becomes real. Evans is living that reality now, and he’s quickly come to understand why the North Carolina basketball program has earned such a legendary reputation.
As the Tar Heels’ newest floor general, Evans recently joined Jones Angell and Adam Lucas on the Carolina Insider Podcast, where he gave fans their first real chance to hear his story, his perspective, and his early impressions of life in Carolina blue. The conversation marked the beginning of a special series designed to introduce supporters to this year’s wave of newcomers. And with the 2025 roster featuring so many fresh faces, it’s a perfectly timed opportunity for Tar Heel Nation to build a connection with the players who will carry the program forward.
Evans, known as a dynamic scoring guard with the ability to control the pace of the game, spoke candidly about his style of play and how he envisions fitting into Hubert Davis’s system. He also walked listeners through his recruitment process — the decisions, the conversations, and the moment he knew that Chapel Hill was the place for him. For Evans, the decision wasn’t just about basketball. It was about relationships, trust, and vision. He described the instant bond he and his family formed with Coach Davis as one of the defining factors that led him to choose UNC. That connection wasn’t surface-level — it was genuine, heartfelt, and left Evans with the certainty that he was joining not just a team, but a family.
Beyond the personal ties, Evans made it clear that he came to North Carolina with one purpose: to win at the highest level. His ambitions align perfectly with the history of Tar Heel basketball. He spoke with passion about wanting to compete on the sport’s biggest stages and to test himself against the very best, and in his eyes, there was no better place to pursue those goals than in Chapel Hill, where banners hang and expectations never waver.
But among all the things Evans shared, one message stood out more than anything else — his reflection on what makes Carolina different. Echoing a theme that has been spoken about for years by former players, Evans pointed to the program’s unmatched culture.
“I would just say the culture,” Evans explained. “The number of people who come back, who talk to us, who genuinely want to see us succeed — and they mean it. That’s just different.”
It’s a powerful statement, and one that captures the essence of Carolina basketball. For Evans, it’s not just the current teammates who make the environment special, but the extended family of alumni who consistently reach out, offer encouragement, and invest their time and wisdom into the new generation of players. These are men who once wore the same jersey, who achieved greatness on the same hardwood, and who now feel a responsibility to guide those following in their footsteps. That connection, that willingness to give back, is what truly sets Chapel Hill apart.
And while the 2025 Tar Heel roster may look unlike anything fans have seen before — with a significant amount of turnover and fresh energy being injected into the program — the essence of the Carolina Family remains intact. The newcomers are already being embraced, and Evans is at the heart of that transition. He’s experiencing firsthand the support system that has long defined UNC basketball: the mentors who check in, the alumni who stop by practices, and the constant reminders that wearing Carolina blue means being part of something bigger than yourself.
For Evans, this isn’t just about playing basketball. It’s about stepping into a tradition that stretches far beyond the court — a tradition built on excellence, mentorship, and brotherhood. It’s about being welcomed into a lineage that includes some of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball, and realizing that now, he carries the responsibility to uphold that standard.
In Chapel Hill, talent matters. Hard work matters. Championships matter. But perhaps more than anything else, family matters. And for Kyan Evans, that realization came quickly. He now knows what every Tar Heel before him has discovered: once you arrive in Chapel Hill, you don’t just join a team — you become part of a culture that’s different from anywhere else in the world.
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