Cincinnati Bearcats General Manager Explains Navigating College Basketball

Collegiate athletics is ever-changing; it wasn’t too long ago that the words “general manager” had never been echoed around the college game, but now most of the nation’s top programs have one enlisted, and the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball program is not withstanding.

Corey Evans was plucked from the Oklahoma City Thunder in March 2025 after spending four years in the NBA as an amateur evaluation scout. Evans worked the 2025-26 campaign with former head coach Wes Miller before Miller was dismissed and Jerrod Calhoun from Utah State came in.

While several head coaches would have asked for a new general manager, Calhoun and Evans have worked seamlessly to navigate the current dynamic of the college basketball sphere.

Earlier this month, Evans appeared on the Bearcats Blitz, where he spoke about his day-to-day life as a general manager.

“There's some days that are kind of down, and you're just kind of studying different rosters in the league and elsewhere. There's another day where you're dealing with the courts and the cases, in different states and trying to figure out where our roster is going to be in 2 weeks or 3 weeks or one week, right?” opened Evans.

The Bearcats are currently in the midst of rounding out their roster ahead of the 2026-27 season, and up until a few days ago, it looked as if former Utah State star MJ Collins was going to be suiting up for the Big 12 side this season; however, Collins’ future is now back in jeopardy, with an exhibition against Ohio State set for October 7.

“And you're trying to touch different parts of the program. You're trying to help organize the staff with recruiting and management and strategy. And then there's other moments where you're just trying to be around the players and around the managers, around the GAs and/or whoever it is. So I think it's about the main priority here, just touching different parts of the program. on the daily, but you're also trying to prepare for next year,” continued Evans.

So far, the Bearcats have a head start in their class of 2027 recruiting as Calhoun secured the signature of 4-star guard Kameron Mercer, who committed to UC in late May.

"So, it's a lot of a guessing game," Evans concluded. "You're trying to kind of create your own work at times. But the most important thing is being with the players and the coaching staff, the administration. and trying to be a help in any which way possible. … But that's the fun part of the job. You're not doing the same thing every day."

Evans’ full interview can be found below.

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