Oregon's Kwame Evans Jr. Looks to up his NBA Draft Stock in 2024-25

The southpaw forward is looking to establish himself as a player to be built around in Oregon's offense.

Mar 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Kwame Evans Jr. (10) shoots the ball against Creighton Bluejays forward Jasen Green (0) during overtime in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Coming out of the powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida, combo forward Kwame Evans Jr. was a four-star according to most sites, committing to Oregon and Dana Altman as part of an impressive 2023 class that included two additional four-stars in Jackson Shelstad and Mookie Cook.

KJ Evans, the highest rated of these players and the one with the most professional potential, had a decent freshman campaign, though one marred by inconsistency, especially over his last eight games, where he failed to record double-digit points.

Though he was fairly effective in their first-round upset of 6-seed South Carolina, recording eight points, six rebounds, and an assist on good efficiency, he still had four personal fouls, an indication that his feel is not elite at this point.

He struggled mightily in their second-round game against Creighton, where he scored no points on three attempts, had three turnovers, and three personal fouls. Given this Creighton team was highly talented, the inability to make anything happen on the offensive end was definitely a cause for concern.

However, the physical tools are just too great to be ignored. The size is the first noticeable attribute, as he has a solid frame at 6-foot-9, 220 pounds. On top of this, he is a highly fluid athlete, one that moves well without the ball and finds himself in positions to score. He's not a player with elite bounce, but his height and wingspan allow for him to finish at the rim, where he ranked in the 53rd percentile in efficiency according to Synergy Sports.

This fluidity lends itself to his being an effective piece in a prototypical NBA five-out offense; the caveat is that Evans Jr. is not a consistent shooter from beyond the arc at this point. He attempted 77 threes in his first collegiate season and hit just 20 of them.

Considering nearly 37% of his shots are from long range, this consistency has to improve in order for him to become an effective part of an offense. However, if he's able to make strides in his catch-and-shoot numbers, where he ranked in just the 28th percentile in points per shot, he will see his stock skyrocket.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.