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Hubert Davis Has Found His Next Point Guard
Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis during the first half of a first round NCAA men’s tournament game against the Mississippi Rebels at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program has been known to have plenty of productive point guards over the years. From Ty Lawson, Kendall Marshall, Marcus Paige to Coby White — now Kyan Evans , who transferred from Colorado State after spending his first two years of college basketball there, has taken his talents to Chapel Hill, where he will be a part of arguably Head Coach Hubert Davis' best roster.

  • "I would just say just the leadership, the role of leadership that a point guard has to have and the control of the game that a point guard has to have," said Evans when speaking to the media on Wednesday. "But it's a big difference, like I said, high school to college. So it's something you definitely just learn over time. But I think just controlling the game."

Senior guard Seth Trimble, no longer an upperclassman anymore has now grown in the ranks in terms of his experiences wearing a North Carolina jersey, but now Evans has him as someone to gain wisdom from on and off the hardwood floor.

  • "Yeah. I think just Seth was really intriguing to me when I was in the portal. I came here and I knew him. I've seen him play in high school before in the EYBL. So I knew who he was and I've obviously seen him here and I know he's good. So you just want to really just surround yourself around other good players that you feel you can connect with and get better from. So for sure, I think I just came here and seen him and envisioned the backcourt with us being extremely good."

The 2025-2026 roster has a backcourt full of guards: Evans, Trimble, Luka Bogavac, Jaydon Young, Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis. And for what it's worth, maybe UNC's turnover rate decreases with the added ball security Davis has to mix and match with when making substitutions.

Hubert Davis on Kyan Evans

When Davis spoke to the media last week for the first time this offseason, he shared his thoughts on Evans and what his next point guard brings to the table.

  • "Yeah, the versatility, just his ability to be able to, from an offensive standpoint, make plays, whether it's with the ball in his hands, coming off ball screens or off the ball actions, whether it's flares or staggers or wide pins, and just his versatility on the offensive end, being able to do that. "
  • "He's an excellent defensive player. You talk about him already being in college two years, and the success that he had in the NCAA Tournament. So him coming here not only brings a high level of skill from a basketball standpoint, but also experience, and it's something that we were looking for."
  • "I think you know, from an offensive standpoint, people talk about spacing. The only way that you can get spacing is to have good shooting. You could put five guys and spread them out all over the floor, and if they can't shoot, there are going to be five defenders in the lane. And so you have to have guys that have the ability to shoot the basketball. Throughout his career, he's been a great three point shooter."

Davis' offensive scheme will be improved with the help of Evans' shooting abilities. Opposing teams will have to stick on Evans around the perimeter — making it hard to help any moves toward the rim — it's either a possibly two-pointer or a possibly three-pointer at risk.

UNC's offensive numbers may look a lot higher compared to Davis' first four years as the head coach of his alma mater. To have players like Evans, Trimble, plus Luka Bogavac, Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Jonathan Powell and Jarin Stevenson — provides a lot of versatility to fit opposing team's playstyle.

The Tar Heels first big test happens next month on Friday, October 24, against BYU, featuring potential lottery pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybansta. Then, Evans will have the opportunity to show off his skills to the fan base, and begin his new journey of playing for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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