Amari Evans gives Texas basketball a versatile defensive wing from Tennessee, bringing length, toughness and upside to Sean Miller’s roster.
Texas basketball didn’t bring in Amari Evans to be the star scorer. The Longhorns added the former Tennessee wing because he can defend, switch and make life miserable for opposing scorers.
That matters for Sean Miller’s roster.
Evans arrives in Austin after averaging 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1 steal while shooting 41.9 percent from the field in 2025.
The offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, but his defensive versatility is the selling point. Texas needs someone who can take tough assignments on the perimeter, guard multiple spots and help replace what Dailyn Swain gave the Longhorns.
Evans fits that job.
At his best, he showed real two-way flashes. His biggest performance came against Vanderbilt, when he scored 24 points, grabbed six rebounds and added three steals while shooting 50 percent from the field.
He also scored 14-plus points twice, including a perfect shooting night against Arkansas.
The key now is consistency.
Texas won’t need Evans to carry the offense with Isaiah Johnson, David Punch and Matas Vokietaitis expected to shoulder the scoring load.
But if Evans can become a respectable spot-up threat, his value rises fast. Improving from below 25 percent from 3 point range to somewhere above 30 percent would make him much harder to ignore.
Defensively, there’s less projection. Evans and Elyjah Freeman give Texas two long, athletic wing defenders who can protect a backcourt expected to rely on young guards. That kind of support is huge over a long SEC season.
This Longhorns transfer class has a clear design. Johnson brings scoring punch. Punch gives Vokietaitis a frontcourt partner. Evans and Freeman add defensive bite on the wing.
For Texas, Evans doesn’t have to be flashy. He just has to be disruptive.
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