Indiana Offers 2023 Top Prospect Kwame Evans Jr., Prep Teammate of Jalen Hood-Schifino
Everyone in and around college basketball can see the greatness in 6-foot-9 Class of 2023 forward Kwame Evans Jr., and that includes Indiana, too.
Evans, who might be the best player in the 2023 class, plays at Montverde Academy in Florida and with the Team Durant on the AAU circuit. He was offered a scholarship by Indiana coach Mike Woodson and assistant coach Kenya Hunter this week.
Indiana has a bit of a hook with him already because Class of 2022 commit Jalen Hood-Schifino is a teammate of Evans' at Montverde, and already has been in his ear recruiting as well.
Hood-Schifino, a 6-foot-5 combo guard who's a 5-star recruit himself now, was a huge get for the Hoosiers, His connection with Evans will surely help, too.
The other Indiana connection to Evans is that Hunter, who's in his second year as an assistant in Bloomington, played against Evans' father – Kwame Evans Sr. – in the Atlantic 10 when Hunter played at Duquesne and Evans was a standout at George Washington, where he was the league's leading scorer as a junior.
Jason Jordan, Sports Illustrated's Director of Basketball Recruiting, saw a lot of him all summer. He's impressed, and sees a bright future for him as well.
"The thing I love about Kwame is his versatility,'' Jordan said. "At 6-foot-9, he’s got the skill set to effectively play and defend all five positions. He’s at his best on the wing where he’s got a mixed bag offensively, scoring on all three levels and using his length to get to his spots on the floor.
"He’s a strong rebounder and plays with an impressive motor. Kwame is really just scratching the surface of his potential.''
Dwayne Wise, Team Durant's director of recruiting, talked to Peegs.com about Evans.
“He’s a wing that grew into the hybrid, combo forward position. He can bring it down the floor and facilitate. He has a great IQ for the game. He’s a lefty. He can really shoot the ball,'' Wise said to Peegs' Jeff Rabjohns. From 3-point percentage, I think he shot it around 40 percent in the EYBL. He’s a great passer. He makes the right play. You can’t force him to play the wrong way. No one has been able to do that, and that speaks to his IQ for the game.''
Evans has several dozen offers so far, including Indiana, Auburn, DePaul, Duke, Florida, Georgetown, George Washington, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, LSU, Howard, Maryland, Memphis, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Xavier, Virginia Tech and more.
Evans talked to Sports Illustrated this summer about how the new name, image and likeness legislation might alter his decision to attend college. Now that the NIL legislation is passed, he can benefit from playing college ball and making some money in the process.
“The NCAA tournament a lone brings more than $1 billion annually,” Evans told SI All-American's Jason Jordan earlier this year. “Yet, the players who provide the product from which everyone else profits receive no piece of the pie. Don’t get me wrong, the platform, the scholarships and everything else are very much appreciated and has the potential to change lives. However, there needs to be real change.”
Related stories on Indiana recruiting
- C.J. GUNN COMMITS: C.J. Gunn of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis is currently ranked as a top-100 player in the Class of 2022, and he's the first Indiana commitment in the class. CLICK HERE
- KALEB BANKS COMMITS: Mike Woodson and his Indiana coaching staff added its second commitment in the class of 2022 on Friday, getting the nod from 6-foot-8 forward Kaleb Banks from suburban Atlanta. CLICK HERE
- JALEN HOOD-SCHIFINO COMMITS: Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 6-foot-5 combo guard from Montverde Academy in Florida and a consensus top-30 player, has committed to Indiana. CLICK HERE
- CLOWNEY ENJOYS OFFICIAL VISIT: Noah Clowney, a 6-foot-10 forward from South Carolina who is a primary recruiting target for Indiana's coaching staff, took his official visit to Bloomington two weeks ago. He and his family were blown away by all the love shown by Hoosier Nation. CLICK HERE