IRVINE, Calif. -- CollegeInsider.com announced senior Kyle Evans is a finalist for the 2025-26 Lefty Driesell award. The award is presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I college basketball.  

The Lefty Driesell award is named in honor of the legendary coach who spent over four decades as a head coach.

Evans is one of 25 finalists for the award which will be announced in Indianapolis, IN, site of the men's Division I Basketball Championship. The recipient of the annual award is determined by a 10-member voting committee, which consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.

Evans currently leads the country in total blocks (109) and blocking average (3.41). He set the UCI and Big West single season block record against Cal Poly last week, surpassing former Anteater Mamadou Ndiaye who had 106 in 2012-13. The forward is second in the Big West in rebounding at 8.5 per game and field goal percentage (,624) while averaging 12.0 points per game.

UC Irvine, the No. 1 seed, begins the  2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Men's Basketball Championship Friday (Mar. 13) at 6:00 p.m.  at the Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nev.

Complete list of finalists