UNC Basketball Kyan Evans Q&A: ‘I’m Going to Do What a Point Guard Does’

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina transfer guard Kyan Evans met with local reporters on Wednesday afternoon for the first time since committing to the Tar Heels out of the portal in early April. At 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, Evans is listed as the second-smallest player on UNC’s overhauled roster.

>>> Welcome to the new home of Inside Carolina! Reactivate your account for $1 <<<

Evans has arrived in Chapel Hill after two seasons at Colorado State, where he started all 36 games for the Rams last season. He averaged 10.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists along with 1.9 turnovers per game. Those numbers helped him earn All-Mountain West Conference honorable mention recognition last season.

Evans’ best attribute perhaps is his 3-point stroke. He connected on 44.6-percent shooting from beyond the arc last season (70-of-157). His sharpshooting makes for a needed addition for the Tar Heels, who shot just 35.6 percent on 3-pointers as a team last season.

Watch his complete interview from Wednesday’s availability at the Smith Center, and read some noteworthy excerpts below …

Q: How do you envision the ball-handling roles working out between you, Seth Trimble, Luka Bogavac and the other shot creators on this team?

Evans: “We’re not really sure yet. I think I’m a point guard, so I’m going to do what a point guard does, and I’m going to handle the ball. But I think they’ll handle the ball as well. And I think (Hubert Davis) is just going to put us in the best position to be successful. And whatever that is, I don’t know what it looks like now, but I think we’ll all be pretty good at it, and we’ll excel.”

Q: People around the Mountain West have said you play longer than your height. Is that true? And can you give us a self-scouting report?

Evans: “I would say that’s true, and I would just say I’ve always played basketball my whole life and I haven’t been the biggest. But I haven’t been the smallest either, but I always play with older people. So I think I have good instincts that way, especially defensively. My instincts are well, and I think that just helps me.

“I’m just a guy you can’t leave any space, no space. And then you want to try and keep me out of the paint, because I’m going to get my teammates involved, but it’s hard to do both so good luck.”

Q: How are you adapting to playing with a group of new guys here at Carolina?

Evans: “I’m not going to say it’s easier, but it almost is easier. When you’re throwing the ball to Seth Trimble in transition, it’s easy to hit him and he’ll make a play for you. So it’s different that way. But at the same time we’re just building every day, trying to get better and just getting more connected that way.”

Q: You’re known as one of the better shooters in college basketball. Where did you learn to shoot?

Evans: “I’ve got a really competitive family, so I would say my dad, my sisters, my brother, even my mom. We always used to do shooting contests when I was little. So just always from a kid. Everybody thought they were the best shooter in the family, but I kind of solidified that last year …

“I learned how to shoot from my dad. My brother’s a really good shooter, too, but it just kind of runs in the family. We were all shooters. So just kind of learned, grew up watching shooters.”