Five-star 2023 forward Kwame 'KJ' Evans picks Oregon over Arizona

Oregon has edged out Arizona in one of the biggest Pac-12 battles of the offseason.

Just a few weeks after five-star forward Kwame “KJ” Evans was reportedly leaning toward a commitment to the Wildcats, he instead announced Tuesday via Instagram Live that he will play for the Ducks in 2023-24.

“They just pitched me,” Evans told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi. “They want me to come in there ready and they’re gonna help me develop to get where I want to go, really. And the coaching staff made it feel like family as soon as I got there for my official so it was really good to know that.”

Arizona was considered a leader earlier this summer for the long and skilled 6-9 forward from Baltimore via Florida’s Montverde Academy after he visited Tucson in June. Evans told On3 that he had a “great relationship” with UA coach Tommy Lloyd noting that “he breaks down my game a lot, telling me what I need to be better on.”

On3 reported on June 30 that Arizona “was trending heavily as the favorite” while four of the most recent five predictions regarding Evans on 247’s Crystal Ball were for Arizona until last weekend, when the winds appeared to shift dramatically.

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On July 29, On3 reported that Oregon had since become the leader for Evans, who retweeted a link to the story. Since then, the four new predictions on 247’s Crystal Ball all had Evans going to Oregon.

Oregon’s connection with Nike and/or NIL opportunities may have played a role. On3 noted the “Nike factor,” which includes the fact that both Evans’ high school and travel club are sponsored by Nike, while On3 said Evans also was “taken aback” when touring the Nike facility in Oregon.

On Instagram Live on Tuesday, Evans said he thought Oregon coach Dana Altman was a “really cool guy” and that he was glad to get to know him off the court through the recruiting process.

Evans also said he “definitely” planned to recruit five-star wing forward Mookie Cook to join him at Oregon. Also a UA recruiting target, Cook decommitted from the Ducks in June and but is now reconsidering that move.

UA has one committed player lined up for the class of 2023 so far, guard K.J. Lewis, who has roots in Tucson and El Paso but now is playing in the Dallas area. Another 2023 commit, guard Kylan Boswell, has reclassified to 2022 and is expected to join the Wildcats for next season. Boswell and Cook played together at AZ Compass Prep last season.