3 Reasons Why Kyan Evans is a Home Run Transfer Portal Addition For the Gophers

Evans has the potential to transform the outlook of Minnesota hoops in 2026-27.

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) brings the ball up court against the East Carolina Pirates during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Gophers finally landed a transfer portal commitment from North Carolina guard Kyan Evans on Saturday afternoon. He has a chance to completely transform the program's outlook heading into 2026-27, and here's why.

1. Colorado State success

The last time Evans played for Niko Medved, he had tremendous success at Colorado State. He averaged 10.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game on 47.1% shooting from the field, 44.6% from three and 85.2% from the free throw line as a sophomore in 2024-25. He elevated his game to another level in the NCAA Tournament with 23 points on six made threes in the Rams' first-round upset win over Memphis

Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Colorado State Rams guard Kyan Evans (0) drives the ball during the second half against Memphis Tigers at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Evans was the third leading scorer on Medved's final team in Fort Collins. After a quiet true freshman season, it was clear that he was on an encouraging developmental path before struggling at North Carolina last season.

2. Cade Tyson blue print

You cannot ignore how poorly Evans played last season at North Carolina. He started 17 games for the Tar Heels before essentially playing himself out of the rotation by the time the NCAA Tournament rolled around. Tyson showed Gophers fans last season that good players can quickly forget a bad situation, and Evans will need to do just that.

Mar 4, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Cade Tyson (5) looks to shoot the ball during the second half against Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The comparisons to Tyson's situation will be made, and it's for good reason. Both players were elite transfer portal prospects before struggling in Chapel Hill. Tyson improved his scoring from 2.6 points per game to 19.6 points per game last season. He might've been an extreme example, but it was proof of how important fit can be in the modern era of college basketball.

You could quickly find out that North Carolina wasn't a good fit for Evans. Hubert Davis was putting a lot of true point guard duties on his plate, and that's not his strength. Evans is the closest thing you can get to a true combo guard. Playing alongside other great passers unlocks his potential, and that's exactly what he'll have in Medved's system.

3. Fit alongside Isaac Asuma

Asuma is coming off his first season as a starting guard at the collegiate level. He primarily played alongside Langston Reynolds in the backcourt, who is a much different player than Evans. Asuma averaged 10.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, and he looked most comfortable off the ball.

Evans and Asuma's skillsets have the potential to complement each other very well. Two guards with the ability to play on and off the ball at a high-level is something that every basketball coach hopes for. Asuma is probably a better defender and facilitator, while Evans is a better shooter. If they figure out how to play together early in the season, the Gophers will have an incredibly high ceiling in 2026-27.