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Medved, Gophers Trying to Close Deal on Top Transfer Target
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- Medved, Gophers Trying to Close Deal on Top Transfer Target
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The NCAA college basketball transfer portal opened on Tuesday, and so far, we have yet to see the Minnesota Gophers pounce on any new talent.
Of course, that doesn't mean head coach Niko Medved and his staff aren't working through all of their possible options, including North Carolina guard transfer Kyan Evans, who entered the portal earlier this week .
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Evans is in the portal again after his move to Chapel Hill last offseason did not go as planned. During his junior year at UNC, Kyan played in 33 games , but started only 17, after he was yanked from the starting lineup just before the start of ACC play, and never returned.
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Niko Medved, Gophers chasing Kyan Evans in transfer portal
As soon as news broke that Evans was transferring, antennas went up around Dinkytown. Not only did Kyan recently play for Gopher head coach Niko Medved just two seasons ago, but he thought very seriously about following Niko to Minnesota last offseason.
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And indeed, the Kansas City, MO native is again interested in playing for the Gophers. Except this time around, Medved isn't expecting UNC to swoop in and double whatever NIL offer Minnesota has on the table… which is what Gopher basketball insider Ryan James (247Sports) says the Tar Heels did last offseason.
When Evans went into the portal last spring Medved went after Kyan to come to the Gophers. Minnesota offered Kyan a decent amount of money but nothing like North Carolina put on the table and it was the type of one season payday a college basketball player – or anybody for that matter – really can't turn down. The amount of money Evans got to play at UNC was nearly twice as much as what Minnesota's top earner made for the 25-26 season.
Related: Gophers MBB Loses Assistant Coach But Keeps Key Players
At the beginning of the 2025-26 season (from November 3 to December 30), Evans averaged 6.4 points, 3.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game. Then, from January 3 to March 19, (mostly off the bench) his minutes per game dropped to 12.8 (2.2 points, 1.6 assists and 0.6 rebounds).
During UNC's only ACC Tournament game this season — a 79-80 loss to Clemson — Evans played just 7 minutes and didn't register a point. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, Kyan got just 4 minutes of run in the loss vs VCU. Again, he failed to register a point.
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Minnesota Gophers have "very, very, very" strong chance of landing Evans
Obviously, despite what happened at UNC, Niko Medved believes he can pull the best basketball out of Kyan Evans yet again, just like he did at Colorado State. That's why the Gophers are reportedly moving extremely fast in their courting of Evans.
On Tuesday, the Minnesota men's basketball coaching staff met with the Kansas City, MO native , via Zoom, where they've tentatively locked in a physical visit to Dinkytown sometime this weekend or next week, according to James.
The full Minnesota staff was on a Zoom call with North Carolina transfer Kyan Evans yesterday. Medved was also in touch with Kyan's parents and the two sides are looking at a date this weekend or early next week for a visit. With Evans looking for a spot of comfort and familiarity for his senior season, the Minnesota Gophers fit right in as Medved was Kyan's coach for his freshman and sophomore year at Colorado State .
Related: Niko Medved Lands Two More Golden Gopher Recommitments
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During his sophomore season at Colorado State, Kyan Evans averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game and operated as the Rams' primary ball-handler. More than likely, that is the role he sees him in with the Golden Gophers too.
While nothing is finalized until he signs that NIL deal on the dotted line, and it sounds like Kyan will continue to field offers from other interested schools in the interim, James feels "very, very, very" good about Kyan ultimately becoming a Minnesota Gopher. He also hinted on Twitter that this process is expected to move quickly.
These transfer portal decisions are going to depend on the NIL deal and when it's done, and there is going to be a waiting period as both sides (teams and agents) look at the market that is going to be set. What are the chances that Evans will be a Gopher? I would say the chances are very, very, very strong.
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