Oregon secures one of highest-rated commits ever in 5-star forward Kwame Evans Jr.
Oregon is putting together one of the best basketball recruiting classes in the country for 2023.
The centerpiece of that class announced his commitment to the Ducks on Tuesday. Kwame Evans Jr., a 5-star power forward from powerhouse Montverde (Fla.) Academy told Paul Biancardi on Instagram that he has picked the Ducks over a group of finalists that included Auburn, Kentucky, UCF, and Arizona.
The 6-foot-9 forward ranks as the seventh overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the industry-generated 247 Composite. He’s the top-ranked player from the state of Florida and the second-ranked power forward.
Assuming he signs with the program, Evans will become the second-highest-rated recruit to join the Ducks in the 247 era, just behind 2018 signee Bol Bol. He has a Composite score of 0.9973.
With size, length, and some pretty decent ball skills, Evans has tremendous upside. He can step out beyond the 3-point line and knock down jumpshots, or move his feet laterally and keep smaller players in front of him on the defensive end of the floor. That lateral quickness makes him a promising pick-and-roll defender, as he also shows off high-end coordination. He contests at the rim and disrupts passing lanes.
The offensive end is a work in progress though. Evans will need to continue adding weight to his frame and he does have a tendency to fall in love with the jumper.
Evans joins 4-star guard Jackson Shelstad in the Ducks’ 2023 class. The local product is the No. 1 recruit in the state of Oregon and a top-70 player nationally. With Evans in the boat, the program will turn its attention to 5-star wing Mookie Cook, a former Oregon commit who left the class earlier this summer. That trio would give the Ducks a top-three class nationally.
As it stands, the Ducks’ two-man 2023 group ranks fifth—behind Duke, Kentucky, Iowa State, and UConn.
You can view Evans’ highlight tape below: