Lengthy, athletic forward with upside — but West Virginia never got to cash the ticket
Evans Barning Jr. is a 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward whose selling points are length, athleticism, and multi-board versatility; in his senior season at Archbishop Carroll (2025), he averaged 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds, with standout games of 20 points/11 rebounds and 17 points/15 rebounds. He was described by WVU coach Ross Hodge as a versatile forward with great length and athleticism, and his final prep stretch included a 29-point game on 78.6% shooting, which hints at real two-way upside. The catch: he redshirted at West Virginia and was later reported to have left the program, so this is more projection than production right now.
