Know Your Team: Nick Evans
Moncton Magic
6'11
Centre
From Carbondale, Illinois
Six years after making his NBL Canada debut, Nick Evans is still a big presence in the league and, most importantly, a dominant offensive threat.
At a young age Evans played for Carbondale High School, where he posted an average of 12.5 points and 11.0 rebounds as a junior, and toured China and Turkey as part of the exhibition Sports Reach USA team.
He went on to play three seasons with the Southern Illinois Salukis in NCAA Division 1, averaging 3.8 points and 2.6 per game. He then transferred to the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles, where he was a reliable bench player, and played his final season with the Victory Eagles.
Evans first joined the NBL Canada after turning professional, signing with the Summerside Storm in 2012. After a brief stint with the Windsor Express the following season, he returned to the Storm, where he would reach his second NBL Canada finals, but again came up short.
In his second full season for the Storm he averaged 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and 57% field shooting. He started in every game for the Storm at the start of the 2015-16 season, before leaving for the London Lightning. He reached his third playoff finals, where the Lightning would lose 4-3 to the Halifax Hurricanes.
Evans started the following season with the Lugano Tigers in Switzerland. He soon moved back to Canada, re-joining the Windsor Express and finishing the season averaging 10.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. His season with the Express over, he played for SWU in the Thailand Basketball League. He has also had semi-pro experience in Romania, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador and Argentina.
His pedigree in the NBL Canada has made him a highly valuable player in the league. In 2018 he joined his fourth NBLC team, the Moncton Magic, and so far has been a revelation for the team. So far this season he has started in every game and averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game shooting over 50% from the field.
With Moncton off to a flying start, will this be the season where Evans finally captures the NBL Canada title?
Picture: Nick Brancaccio
