Louisville Center Dennis Evans No Longer Medically Cleared to Play

Dennis Evans, a true freshman for the Louisville men's basketball program, is no longer medically cleared to compete, according to a statement from the program released Thursday night.

“Freshman center Dennis 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 Dennis’ privacy," the statement read.

The 7-foot-1, 215-pound center has missed the last six games due to what was only described as a shoulder injury, and head coach Kenny Payne said on Tuesday ahead of their Wednesday trip to Virginia that Evans was still "day-to-day." Evans did not make the trip to Charlottesville.

When asked if Evans' status meant that he was out for just the remainder of the season or indefinitely, Louisville SID Zach Greenwell told Louisville Report that "UofL does not foresee his status changing with the institution."

According to the Courier-Journal, Evans is still part of the program, but is not currently on campus and that UofL will honor his scholarship if he wishes to continue studying at UofL.

Evans was a massive addition, both literally and figuratively, to this season's roster out of high school. Evans ranked as high as the No. 11 prospect in the nation according to Rivals, and was the No. 39 player in the 2023 cycle according to the 247Sports Composite.

Once on campus, the Riverside, Calif. native displayed his longterm potential, but was still an incredibly raw prospect. Over his seven games played, five of which were starts, Evans totaled 11 points, six rebounds and five blocks.

Sporting a 7-foot-7 wingspan and 9-foot-8 standing reach, Evans was the epitome of a rim protector while in high school. During his senior season for Hillcrest, he averaged 14.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.9 blocks per game. He nearly averaged a double-double over his four years at Hillcrest, putting up 10.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 blocks in 105 career games.

Louisville currently sports a 5-8 record in year two under Payne, and are currently 0-2 in ACC play. They'll be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 12:00 p.m. EST for their ACC home opener against Pitt.