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Ben McCollum is taking a chance on a transfer guard who flopped at UNC

After a terrible season, a former highly coveted transfer is on the move once again
ByJordan Underwood|
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Mar 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) dribbles against Clemson Tigers forward Dallas Thomas (8) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Mar 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) dribbles against Clemson Tigers forward Dallas Thomas (8) during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Patience is the name of the game for Ben McCollum and the Iowa Hawkeyes as the transfer portal chaos rages on.

The transfer portal window has been open for just over a week, and Iowa is among the few programs that have not signed anyone to date.

The program has ramped up its efforts, meeting and hosting multiple players, including center Andrew McKeever (Saint Mary's) and guard Ace Glass III (Washington State), with guard Ty'Reek Coleman (Illinois State) scheduled to visit this weekend.

McCollum and the program have been feverishly searching for more guard depth, and a reclamation player could fill that void.

UNC transfer Kyan Evans presents a unique opportunity for the Iowa program

To say last season didn't go well at UNC for transfer Kyan Evans might be an understatement, as the former highly coveted 2025 transfer guard was a massive flop.

After one extremely disappointing season with the Tar Heels, Evans is in the portal once again, and he is in Iowa City for an official visit.

After making a stop in Minneapolis to visit his former Colorado State head coach, Nico Medved, and the Minnesota program, he journeyed south to Iowa City.

Evans' production jumped exponentially from his freshman to sophomore year at CSU, increasing his scoring from 1.7 to 10.6 points per game. He also shot 47.1 percent from the field and 44.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Rivals ranked him as a four-star transfer and the No. 102 overall transfer in 2025, and it all fell apart in his first and only season in Chapel Hill.

Evans is more suited to an off-ball, floor spacer, but Hubert Davis and the coaching staff put a lot on him as the Tar Heels' primary ball-handler last season. He struggled mightily, but he has shown his abilities when in the right system.

He is definitely not a replacement for Bennett Stirtz, but could give Iowa another floor spacer and secondary ball-handler next to a point guard who is more adept at running an offense.

Evans is a potential high risk, high reward signing, but McCollum is a wizard at getting the most out of his players, exactly what Evans needs.

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