Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. (MST)
M Basketball
2 p.m. (MST)
at Baylor
.png&width=100&type=webp)
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
At 7-1, Evans spreads wings to GCU
4/27/2024 5:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
18-year-old center joins Lopes after injury-shortened season at Louisville
The big man on campus at Grand Canyon will definitely soon be Dennis Evans.
GCU is adding the 7-foot-1 center, rated by some in the top 15 of the prep class of 2023, after a shoulder injury cut Evans' collegiate debut to seven games as a Louisville freshman.
Still at 18 years old, Evans gets a reboot with the Lopes to spread his wings – sizable ones with a 7-7 wingspan and 9-8 standing reach.
"Dennis is an excellent young man who has tremendous upside," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "He has the potential to really impact the game on both ends. We are excited to get him here this summer."
Evans, who is from Riverside, California, started in five of those seven Louisville appearances last November, but his time dwindled as a raw 17-year-old going through a left shoulder injury. He opened the season with seven points, two rebounds and two blocks and only played 48 more minutes.
After not playing in December, Louisville announced the 7-1, 215-pound center was medically unable to play with then-head coach Kenny Payne telling reporters, "but really, really love the kid."
"It was a very difficult decision to stop playing because I always want to give the team as much as I can, but I realized that I was only making it worse by pushing it," Evans said. "I've gotten back on the court and gotten back into the swing of things. I'm still working on some of the motion and strengthening back from the injury we had. GCU already has a program set up for me to be able to come in and continue develop while strengthening the parts that I've injured."
Evans became serious about basketball when he hit 6 feet 7 in seventh grade. Because he was young for his age and a late bloomer, college interest shot up quickly as he joined the USA Basketball junior national team program and was part of an under-17 gold-medal team in Spain.
As a senior at Riverside Hillcrest High School, Evans averaged 14.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.9 blocks and 2.3 assists. He once recorded 16 blocks, fifth most in California prep history, in a region championship game.
Evans, ranked as the No. 14 prospect nationally by Rivals and No. 28 by 24/7 Sports, signed with Minnesota before later asking for and being granted a release that led to him landing at Louisville. There, Payne complimented what a daily learner Evans proved to be in the gym, saying, "There's no limit on the potential of how good he can be."
In the 64 minutes Evans played for Louisville last November, he made 5 of 8 shots for 11 points to go with six rebounds and five blocked shots.
"I feel like I will continue to get better and forward my career at GCU while also continuing to develop as a person off the court," Evans said. "When I got there, I got really comfortable with the coaching staff, and I really liked what their plan was.
"I really like the coaches' plan for how they develop their players and how they've been able to keep them healthy and on the court."
Last season, none of the GCU starters missed a game for injury.
Evans has an academic interest in economics with a penchant for math. He is already calculating what could happen for him in a cultural and championship environment like the one at GCU, where the Lopes have two incoming 7-footers with Evans and Oregon high school Gatorade Player of the Year Austin Maurer also joining.
"I play as a stretch big who is really good at rim protection," Evans said. "I feel like I have a pretty nice shooting touch, and I've been continuing to develop it. I shoot pretty good from mid-range and have been stretching it out to the 3-point line.
"I'm really anxious to see and to have a better start to Year 2."
GCU is adding the 7-foot-1 center, rated by some in the top 15 of the prep class of 2023, after a shoulder injury cut Evans' collegiate debut to seven games as a Louisville freshman.
Still at 18 years old, Evans gets a reboot with the Lopes to spread his wings – sizable ones with a 7-7 wingspan and 9-8 standing reach.
"Dennis is an excellent young man who has tremendous upside," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "He has the potential to really impact the game on both ends. We are excited to get him here this summer."Evans, who is from Riverside, California, started in five of those seven Louisville appearances last November, but his time dwindled as a raw 17-year-old going through a left shoulder injury. He opened the season with seven points, two rebounds and two blocks and only played 48 more minutes.
After not playing in December, Louisville announced the 7-1, 215-pound center was medically unable to play with then-head coach Kenny Payne telling reporters, "but really, really love the kid."
"It was a very difficult decision to stop playing because I always want to give the team as much as I can, but I realized that I was only making it worse by pushing it," Evans said. "I've gotten back on the court and gotten back into the swing of things. I'm still working on some of the motion and strengthening back from the injury we had. GCU already has a program set up for me to be able to come in and continue develop while strengthening the parts that I've injured."
Evans became serious about basketball when he hit 6 feet 7 in seventh grade. Because he was young for his age and a late bloomer, college interest shot up quickly as he joined the USA Basketball junior national team program and was part of an under-17 gold-medal team in Spain.
As a senior at Riverside Hillcrest High School, Evans averaged 14.7 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.9 blocks and 2.3 assists. He once recorded 16 blocks, fifth most in California prep history, in a region championship game.
Evans, ranked as the No. 14 prospect nationally by Rivals and No. 28 by 24/7 Sports, signed with Minnesota before later asking for and being granted a release that led to him landing at Louisville. There, Payne complimented what a daily learner Evans proved to be in the gym, saying, "There's no limit on the potential of how good he can be."
In the 64 minutes Evans played for Louisville last November, he made 5 of 8 shots for 11 points to go with six rebounds and five blocked shots.
"I feel like I will continue to get better and forward my career at GCU while also continuing to develop as a person off the court," Evans said. "When I got there, I got really comfortable with the coaching staff, and I really liked what their plan was.
"I really like the coaches' plan for how they develop their players and how they've been able to keep them healthy and on the court."
Last season, none of the GCU starters missed a game for injury.
Evans has an academic interest in economics with a penchant for math. He is already calculating what could happen for him in a cultural and championship environment like the one at GCU, where the Lopes have two incoming 7-footers with Evans and Oregon high school Gatorade Player of the Year Austin Maurer also joining.
"I play as a stretch big who is really good at rim protection," Evans said. "I feel like I have a pretty nice shooting touch, and I've been continuing to develop it. I shoot pretty good from mid-range and have been stretching it out to the 3-point line.
"I'm really anxious to see and to have a better start to Year 2."
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's BasketballMakaih Williams | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04
Dusty Stromer | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04
Kaleb Smith | Media Availability | 9.3.25
Thursday, September 04
Non-Conference Schedule Release | Men's Basketball
Monday, August 04