The UNC basketball program has a long history of producing great point guards, dating back to Ty Lawson, Kendall Marshall, and, more recently, former ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.
After Davis finished his fifth and final season of eligibility last year to pursue his NBA aspirations, the Tar Heels needed to find a new floor general. They landed on a junior guard from Colorado State, Kyan Evans. In his sophomore year, his points per game increased by 9 points and nearly tripled his assists.
The reason this move looked so promising was Evans' performance in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Against Memphis, Evans scored 23 points, hitting a career high 6 threes and adding four assists as well. Leading No.12 Colorado State to a 78-70 upset over the No.5 seed Memphis.
So why has that performance and confidence not carried over to this season? Playing in the Mountain West Conference is significantly different than playing in the ACC. Playing for a decorated team like the UNC basketball program comes with tons of pressure and expectations, and if his shooting splits dictate anything, it's that he's overthinking and not playing freely.
Evans is averaging a measly six points per game and three assists as the Tar Heels' lead guard, and his shooting splits are abysmal. This is definitely a psychological problem, as a player who shot 85 percent from the free throw line the previous season, his shooting only 63 percent this season.
With the backcourt struggles, Hubert Davis has primarily played through his two big men. Having two dominant big men who can slash and also space the floor, the pick-and-roll/pop should open Evans up for easy looks, but he looks indecisive and picks up his dribble too often, which stalls the offense.
The glaring issue is that when the games are close, Evans is usually not on the floor, which is making even his coach's confidence in the third-year guard dwindle.
However, the season is early, and there have been a few games this season where Evans looked like the guard they thought they were bringing in. “He’s a really good shooter, and you know, my conversations with him are, those are good shots, and I want him to continue to take them,” said Hubert Davis earlier this month. “I want him to be confident in his shot.”
The good news is that none of the guards on the team has made a case so far to take Evans' starting job, so if he can find some rhythm and consistency, it could bring UNC basketball to even greater heights. Playing through others and off the ball to hit spot-up shots, where he excelled last year, could give him the confidence and bring back his aggressiveness.
Evans has another chance to make a statement to solidify his starting position this Wednesday as the UNC basketball program goes on the road to take on the Stanford Cardinal.