{"id":116405,"date":"2025-08-03T19:57:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T19:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116405\/"},"modified":"2025-08-03T19:57:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T19:57:10","slug":"feels-great-to-be-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116405\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Feels great to be home’"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Arizona Wildcats get ready for the 2025-26 season, Tucson native Evan Nelson says he\u2019s excited to play in the Big 12 and for a program he\u2019s grown up on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels great to be home and to be a part of this program that I\u2019ve watched all my life growing up,\u201d Nelson said in a\u00a0press conference<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo know the history that\u2019s behind this program and to now be a part of it and have the opportunity to play at the biggest stage in college basketball, it\u2019s the best feeling and it\u2019s been the best time so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelson, a former three-star prospect<\/a> from Salpointe Catholic High School, signed with the Wildcats<\/a> through the transfer portal in April after three seasons with Harvard. In 27 games with the Crimson last season, the 6-foot-2 point guard averaged 9.1 points (45.5% shooting), three rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.<\/p>\n

He joins a Wildcats team that had a good recruiting class<\/a> this offseason, which featured five-star recruits Brayden Burries and Koa Peat.<\/p>\n

Evan Nelson has \u2018welcome to the Big 12\u2019 moment during workout<\/p>\n

Nelson detailed one of his first workouts on the team, including with new backcourt teammates Burries and Jaden Bradley that gave him a preview of playing Big 12 basketball.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting out, I had a welcome to Arizona basketball, \u2018welcome to the Big 12\u2019 moment being in a workout with Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries and JB just running through me and I fell over and he made a layup and everybody is like \u2018welcome to the Big 12,’\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n

Despite the workout, Nelson is not deterred by the moment and looks forward to playing for the Wildcats this upcoming season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely feel like I belong and just to be in RJ (Richard Jefferson Gymnasium) and just look at the guys who are on the wall,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cIt just puts into perspective that lineage of history and hard work. I feel like I belong here and I\u2019m happy to be a Wildcat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelson looking forward to opportunity to earn playing time<\/p>\n

Nelson said it will be a battle to earn minutes in the rotation but he\u2019s looking forward to the challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a star-studded class of freshmen and returners so every day it\u2019s a grind to try to earn those minutes,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cWhen and if I do get those minutes, it\u2019s about being as aggressive as I can be defensively and offensively. I do think there will be opportunities for me and it\u2019s just making the most of them when I do get out there to play some minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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