NC State’s frontcourt may have found its swing piece in Kyle Evans.
With preseason practice set to begin in four days on September 21, the Wolfpack are still sorting through a roster that needs a lot to go right. Evans is right in the middle of that conversation, and for good reason. He arrives as one of Coach Gainey’s most heralded signees after putting together a strong finish at UC Irvine, where he became the top shot blocker in the country last season.
Evans’ path to Raleigh has not been smooth. His first two seasons at Colorado State were wrecked by injuries, with an “injured hand” limiting him to 11 games as a freshman and a broken thumb holding him to 9 games as a sophomore.
He transferred to UC Irvine and finally got a clean run, playing every game over his next two seasons. As a junior, he averaged 12.1 minutes per game.
As a senior starter, that jumped to 28.6 minutes per game.
The numbers paint the picture of a true big man: 6’10”, 210 pounds, playing forward and center, with averages of 12.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 3.3 blocks per game. He shot 62% from the field, 20% from three on 2-for-10 shooting, and 78.8% at the line.
The defense is where Evans really stands out. Matthew Winick called him “Probably the biggest swing piece for NC St and one of the bigger ones in the ACC.”
Winick pointed to Evans’ absurd shot-blocking production at UC Irvine, where he ranked No. 7 in BLK% while committing fewer than 3 fouls per 40 for a defense ranked No. 26 nationally. But he also raised the key question: how much of that was Evans himself, and how much was the system?
That’s the tension with Evans. UC Irvine’s defense has long been built around a shot-blocking five planted near the rim, and Evans thrived in that setup.
NC State, though, is asking him to do more. Jake McSwain of Scout Team Sports called him a “Perfect scheme fit for what Gainey wants to run and an excellent compliment to their guards.”
He also labeled Evans an “Elite rim protector,” praised how rarely he gets out of position, and said, “He is a very smart defensive player.” McSwain added, “He is going to erase a lot of mistakes” and “He’s going to be quicker than a lot of bigs he plays.”
Offensively, Evans does his best work close to the basket. McSwain said “half of his points came from cuts and rolls to the basket. 15% from paint touches.”
He also noted, “I see Evans as a better finisher around the rim than Lubin was last season.” According to McSwain, “He can finish with either hand, and has a variety of baby hooks.”
The biggest question is how Evans handles a new defensive assignment. Last season, and throughout both years at UC Irvine, he lived in drop coverage, staying near the basket and waiting for drives to come to him.
That changes now. Coach Gainey has made clear that NC State’s defense will ask him to hedge, move higher on the floor, and recover quickly.
That’s a different job, but Gainey has also said, “ Kyle is one of the fastest guys on the team ” and “ He moves really well ”.
There are other things to monitor, too. Evans never played against P4 competition in his last two seasons, and he’s still fairly thin at 6’10” and 210 pounds, though Gainey said during the summer presser that he has added 10 pounds.
Still, the overall outlook is pretty clear. Evans is not going to pile up 115 blocks.
But even half of that would put him among the ACC’s best. Last season, 57 blocks were enough for fourth in the league, and two of the top three shot blockers moved on to the pros.
So yes, the scouting report will be obvious. “watch out for #14.”
And if Evans settles in the way NC State hopes, the Wolfpack could end up with something rare: two ACC-caliber centers who can soak up more minutes than the team actually has available. In that kind of setup, the rim gets crowded in a hurry.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Just Created A Frustrating Future Problem For NC State
NC State heads to Vanderbilt on Saturday, but the bigger issue for the Wolfpack may already be sitting three years down the road. Vanderbilt has canceled its scheduled return trip to Raleigh in 2028, according to the contract, and will owe NC State $1 million for breaching the agreement. The Commodores have already filled that opening by adding Virginia to their 2028 non-conference schedule, leaving the Wolfpack with an unexpected hole to patch.
For NC State, the timing is the frustration. The ACC requires a Power Four opponent on the non-conference slate, so the Wolfpack now have to replace a lost home game with another major-conference matchup for 2028. That is not just a scheduling inconvenience, either. It changes the shape of the future non-conference calendar and puts pressure on NC State to find a quality opponent willing to come to Raleigh. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Faces A New Vanderbilt Problem At Quarterback
Vanderbilts quarterback picture just got a little sharper heading into its meeting with North Carolina State, with coach Clark Lea announcing that freshman Jared Curtis will make his first start against the Wolfpack. Curtis arrived with a big reputation and has already flashed in relief through the opening two games, including a strong showing in the win over Delaware, so NC State will have a different look to prepare for than the one it might have expected a week ago.
For the Wolfpack, the timing adds another layer to a game already carrying some momentum after a record-setting victory. NC State is trying to carry that energy forward, but the challenge now includes a young quarterback who has quickly moved into the spotlight and could give Vanderbilt a different kind of offensive spark. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Doeren Raised 2 Big NC State Questions Before Vanderbilt
Dave Doeren had plenty to unpack before NC State heads to Vanderbilt, and the conversation quickly moved beyond the usual game-week talk. The Wolfpack coach touched on a range of issues, including KaTron Evans eligibility ruling, how the staff is evaluating quarterback Jared Curtis, and how the team is preparing for the kind of heat that can change the feel of a road trip before the first snap. He also pointed to NC States previous experience in tough away environments as part of the buildup to this one.
The bigger questions around the Vanderbilt matchup were less about the opponent itself than the conditions surrounding it. Doeren said he was pleased with the NCAAs decision on Evans and outlined the teams hydration plan as part of the preparation, while also addressing how conference realignment has affected scheduling. The result is a fairly familiar August storyline for a program trying to balance roster availability, quarterback development, and the practical realities of playing on the road. [Read more 🡒]