Nova Notebook: Meet the Cats Part 1
 
With members of the 2026-27 Villanova Wildcats enrolled in summer classes and team workouts underway, we will offer a series of features introducing the newest members of the squad. In Part 1, we get to know Kwame Evans, a Baltimore native who returns to the East Coast after three years at Oregon.
 
Kwame Evans Jr. was pointed in the direction of basketball by an uncle, Alexander Epps, who took note of the one element his nephew possessed that coaches cannot teach: height.
 
"I was taller and longer than the other kids," Evans recalled recently. "My uncle took me to the gym probably around the age of five or six. From there, I fell in love with the game and I've been playing it ever since."
 
Over the past two decades, the game has taken Evans from coast to coast. As a high school player, he moved to Florida's Montverde Academy, where he became a McDonald's All-American. When the time came to choose a college, he picked Oregon. Now, after three seasons marked by improvement, including the last two in the Big Ten, Evans is a Wildcat.
 
When the decision was made to transfer ahead of the 2026-27 season, the 6-10 Evans had many options. The fact that he had originally been recruited by Wildcats' head coach Kevin Willard as a prep player created an easy bond that helped push Nova to the top of the list.
 
"Coach Willard recruited me when I first came to college," Evans stated. "When I came here for a visit it was warm and welcoming. It's a family and everyone accepted me for what I could be."
 
The coaching staff's track record of success with developing forwards into NBA players – Sandro Mamuskelashvili (Seton Hall) and Derik Queen (Maryland) are two recent examples - mattered as did Villanova's own assortment of standouts thriving at the next level.
 
"Looking at Villanova's pedigree, the people that have played here like Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and other great players, a legendary head coach in Jay Wright, hit home for me," stated Evans.
 
While Evans was blessed with height – "I was always the big guy down low" – his 220-pound frame is a lean one. Of course, he has added strength as a collegian, but one needs only to pull up video clips of Evans at Oregon to notice he is a smooth, well-rounded forward who profiles as a weapon facing the basket. The lefthander drained 31 of his 102 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc as a junior in 2025-26.
 
"I think the credit goes to my dad, and family members who taught me the fundamentals," Evans said. "I learned how to dribble with both hands and I'm able to shoot with both hands. We always talked about being a complete basketball player, which is one of the things that they talked about with me coming here."
 
Kwame Evans Sr. is a 2014 inductee into the George Washington University Athletic Hall of Fame and still ranks fifth on the school's all-time scoring list. The Colonials won 78 games across Evans Sr.'s four seasons on campus (1994-98).
 
"Because people knew of my dad, I think by the time I was in eighth grade people started keeping an eye on me," noted Evans Jr.
 
Evans Jr. began his prep career at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute before COVID interrupted his upward arc. Not long after came the offer to enroll at Montverde Academy, which has a distinguished list of basketball alumni that also includes Villanova's James Bell (2010-14).
 
"Montverde came calling and I knew I had to keep getting better," Evans said.
 
The forward adapted quickly to competing against some of the top prep players in the nation.
 
"The adjustment was learning that you had to come in there every day to compete," he stated. "When you get there, you find there are guys older than you and better than you. You had to compete to put your best foot forward."
 
In 2022, Montverde won the national championship during Evans' junior season. As a senior, Evans was named a McDonald's All-American and the No. 14 player in the ESPN Top 100 list of 2023 prospects. When he signed with the Ducks, he became the fourth highest ranked recruit in program history.
 
Over his three seasons in Eugene, Evans Jr. expanded his impact. After starting 29 games as a freshman in 2023-24 and averaging 6.1 points per game as a sophomore, Evans Jr. became a fixture in the lineup last season. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while starting all 30 contests for the Ducks.
 
"In that time, I learned about relationships and that this game is a business," Evans Jr. noted. "You've got to do your thing and help the people around you."
 
It didn't take long for Evans Jr. to feel at home on the Main Line. In addition to Willard, he was friendly with Wildcats' assistant coaches – and Baltimore natives – Kevin Norris and Ricky Harris.
 
"Once I went into the portal, it was kind of a no-brainer to come here," he said. "I know those guys and I know they are going to push me to be the best player I can be."
 
Though he's only in his second full week on campus, Evans Jr., already has built a comfort level in this environment.
 
"Everybody here is just looking out for the best for you," stated Evans Jr. "It doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, or what position you play. Everybody gets a fair shot. It feels good to be here."