BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Out of the 41 former Ivy League basketball players currently playing professional basketball, only one of them is in the NBA — former Princeton star Tosan Evbuomwan ’23.
On Jan. 1, ESPN reported that the Brooklyn Nets had agreed to a two-way contract with Evbuomwan. A two-way contract allows a player to split time between the NBA and the G League.
“I’m not thinking about any of that,” Evbuomwan told The Daily Princetonian when asked about the challenges of being on a two-way contract. “I’m here trying to just stay present and every opportunity I get, whether it’s with the Brooklyn Nets or the Long Island Nets, just trying to show how I can contribute to winning and just continue to get better.”
However, Evbuomwan has primarily been with the Brooklyn Nets, playing in 20 games thus far and averaging nearly 10 points per game in 24.3 minutes per game.
“We believe that he can be a special player,” Nets Head Coach Jordi Fernández told the ‘Prince’ before the Nets game against the Hornets on Monday, Feb. 10.
“From the first day, he walked in like he belongs on both ends of the floor,” Fernández continued. “He is super mature. Everything you ask him to do, he gets it right away and he does it. He communicates, he’s efficient, he’s a worker, he’s a pro.”
Last season, Evbuomwan had stints with the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, playing in a total of 17 games. In those 17 games, he averaged just under six points per game.
“Coming in with some games under my belt, I kind of knew what to expect a little bit more,” Evbuomwan said. “I’m more confident out there on both ends of the floor. That comes with the experience.”
Evbuomwan has had particularly big responsibilities on the defensive end of the ball, matching up with the likes of Kevin Durant and Lamelo Ball.
“[It’s] something that I think will allow me to play in this league for hopefully a while, being able to match up with those guys, be physical, disrupt their rhythm.”
For Evbuomwan, a key to his success has been his coach, Fernández. Before taking on the Nets gig, Fernández was a player development coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he worked closely with Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, amongst others.
“He did a great job of just bringing me up to speed with everything, as did the rest of the coaching staff and the guys,” Evbuomwan said. “He gave me a lot of confidence from the minute I walked in to go and be impactful and kind of do what I do.
Evbuomwan was quick to impress the Nets. On Jan. 3, in a G-League game for the Long Island Nets, Evbuomwan scored 39 points. Following this performance, he has been with the Nets since making his debut on Jan. 4. In just his third game with the team, Evbuomwan scored 13 points and had seven rebounds in 29 minutes of action.
Just days later, Evbuomwan had the best game of his career against the Utah Jazz. In 24 minutes off the bench. Evbuomwan led the Nets in scoring with 22 points on 88 percent shooting from the field.
“I don’t think the mindset was any different,” Evbuomwan explained. “Maybe the ball happened to find me a little more often, and I just stayed aggressive.”
Following the Jazz game, Evbuomwan has scored in double figures on six more occasions, most recently on Feb. 5, when he scored 15 points against the Washington Wizards.
“Tosan has been a great addition to the group for many reasons,” Fernández said. “We’re happy with him, but we want him to keep working and getting better.”
With 37 career games, Evbuomwan has already played the fifth-most NBA games of any Ivy League player since 2000.
When asked about his thoughts on the Ivy League being viewed as a tier below most Division I leagues, Evbuomwan brought up Princeton’s success against power-five programs.
“We [Princeton] have a great record against high-major teams. We love to play high-major teams. We love to schedule more each year.”
During his time at Princeton, Evbuomwan improved drastically. In his rookie season at Old Nassau, Evbuomwan averaged just under four points per game. However, in his following two seasons, Evbuomwan averaged over 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game.
“Coach Henderson and the rest of the staff just did a good job of always demanding more from me, wanting me to be the best version of myself,” he said. “Princeton will always be dear to me, and anything I can do for those guys, I’m always available.”
As Evbuomwan blazes the trail for Princeton basketball, other members of the men’s team have their own professional aspirations. Junior standout guard Xaivian Lee, for instance, has the same agent as Evbuomwan (George S. Langberg) and was slated as the 51st pick in a recent mock draft by Bleacher Report.
“I’m super proud of him,” Evbuomwan said. “I think he has a real shot, and I think he’ll be great. Hopefully, I’ll see him here shortly.”
As Evbuomwan looks ahead to the future, he’s not looking to rush anything.
“[I] never take these opportunities for granted,” Evbuomwan explained. “I want to stick in this league and play in this league for a long time, so no kind of timeline or pressure on any next deal or anything like that.”
“Just continue to play, continue to try and just be impactful positively to winning and let the rest take care of itself.”
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate News editor, senior Sports writer, and Education Director for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
Artist Q&A: Behind the Scenes of ‘Safe Harbor’ with Dominic Dominguez ’25
Luke GrippoContributing Writer for The Prospect Luke Grippo interviews Dominic Dominguez ’25 about his debut play “Safe Harbor.”
Contributing Writer for The Prospect Luke Grippo interviews Dominic Dominguez ’25 about his debut play “Safe Harbor.”
New Humanities Institute explores outreach to community colleges, public schools
Luke GrippoTwo months after the Steering Committee met for the first time, members discuss their optimism for the Initiative, including hopes to bring the humanities outside of Princeton.
Two months after the Steering Committee met for the first time, members discuss their optimism for the Initiative, including hopes to bring the humanities outside of Princeton.
SPIA continues domestic, international trips among some Trump administration concerns
Sena Chang and Luke GrippoTrips in the School of Public and International Affairs are continuing despite concerns that the Trump administration may impact international and domestic trips.
Trips in the School of Public and International Affairs are continuing despite concerns that the Trump administration may impact international and domestic trips.
