Former Gophers 5-star recruit Dennis Evans not medically cleared at Louisville

The 7-foot-1 freshman hasn't played since Nov. 29.

Dennis Evans, the former five-star Gophers commit who flipped to Louisville in March, is no longer medically cleared to play, according to multiple reports.

Evans, a 7-foot-1, 215-pound freshman from Riverside, Calif., hadn’t played since Nov. 29 due to a shoulder injury. According to the Louisville Courier Journal, Louisville coach Kenny Payne had said Evans was "day to day" earlier this week.

Louisville released a statement on Thursday, according to multiple reports, saying that Evans “will not be medically cleared to compete at the University of Louisville moving forward. We are disappointed by the news and will not be releasing any additional information out of respect for (Evan’s) privacy.”

The Courier Journal also reported that Evans is not currently on campus and has remained home since the team went on a holiday break. Louisville will honor his scholarship if he chooses to remain at the university, but he can no longer work out or compete with the program, according to the newspaper.

Evans played in five games for the Cardinals this season, with his best performance coming in their Nov. 6 opener against UMBC, when he had seven points, two rebounds and two blocks. He had shown some flashes in limited minutes. 

Evans signed his national letter of intent with Minnesota in November 2022, but informed the Gophers that he wanted to be released from it in February 2023, a month before he committed to Louisville.

Had Evans honored his commitment to Minnesota, he would have been the highest-ranked recruit the program had added in 20 years. Evans averaged 14.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.9 blocks his senior year of high school. 

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Former Gophers 5-star recruit Dennis Evans earlier this season with the Louisville Cardinals :: © Matt Stone/The Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK