Dana Altman Addresses Scary Kwame Evans Jr. Injury After Oregon Win

The Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team tipped off their 2025-26 season on Tuesday night against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Matthew Knight Arena. It was a struggle for Oregon, who just squeaked out a 60-59 victory.

However, the biggest story of the night was a knee injury suffered by Ducks forward Kwame Evans Jr.

Kwame Evans Jr. Leaves Game With Injury, Altman Gives Update

Oregon Ducks Kwame Evans Jr. Dana Altman Men's College Basketball Takai Simpkins Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Knee Injury Update — Hawaii guard Hunter Erickson, right, drives past Oregon forward Kwame Evans Jr. as the Oregon Ducks host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Nov. 4, 2025, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the second half of Oregon’s win over Hawaii, Kwame Evans went down with what appeared to be a knee injury. Evans had the ball under the hoop and looked as if his knee was bumped by a defender or his foot slipped, putting his left knee in an awkward position.

Evans went down in a heap, grabbing his left knee. He was helped up, but did not put pressure on his left leg as he was assisted off the floor and into the locker room. Oregon coach Dana Altman was asked on postgame radio if he had an update on Evans.

“I’m not sure where he’s at…I don’t think it’s too serious,” Altman said. “I don’t know that for a fact but he was walking around in the locker room.”

Evans is one of the three returning key pieces from last season to this Oregon team along with center Nate Bittle and guard Jackson Shelstad. Shelstad is currently out with a broken hand suffered earlier this offseason and is aiming to return later this month.

Year Three For Kwame Evans

Kwame Evans is in his third season in Eugene. He signed with the Ducks out of Montverde Academy. Evans was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 18 player in the class of 2023 per 247Sports.

In his first two seasons, Evans averaged 6.1 points and 4.8 points per game. Hopes were high for Evans to take a step forward this season, but that could now be in doubt.

Oregon has made the NCAA Tournament each of the past two years and will look to make it for a third time in row.

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Ducks 1-0 After Takai Simpkin’s Game Winner

Oregon avoided what would have been a disastrous loss against Hawaii in a not-so-pretty 60-59 win. Oregon shot just 36.2 percent from the field and turned the ball over a staggering 21 times.

The Ducks had a double digit lead with nine minutes remaining and then Hawaii made a push. Oregon found themselves down 59-58 with under a minute to go. After three missed shots and four offensive rebounds in a matter of seconds, Ducks guard Takai Simpkins laid in the go-ahead bucket for the win.

Takai Simpkins with the game-winning layup ‼️@OregonMBB pulls off a 60-59 win over Hawaii to start the season 👏 pic.twitter.com/aXJCLiHbC4
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 5, 2025

Simpkins was the player of the game for Oregon. He had 18 points on 7/12 shooting while only turning the ball over once. Next up for the Ducks are the Rice Owls on Nov. 7.