By: CofC Sports Media
College of Charleston men’s basketball coach Pat Kelsey bolstered his roster on Monday, inking Russian standout Nikita Evdokimov. The freshman signed a National Letter of Intent to attend CofC and has immediate eligibility for the current 2021-22 campaign.
Evdokimov is a skilled 6-foot-5 guard who has played several years at the highest levels internationally. The 18-year-old most recently played for the U20 Russian national team at the U20 European Challengers, appearing in all five games. He helped Russia to its lone win at the event over Ukraine with 11 points in 21 minutes on 4-of-6 shooting.
“We are super excited about Nikita,” head coach Pat Kelsey said. “Similar to Reyne Smith, he has competed at the highest level of international youth basketball. He is a guard that possesses great size, skill, and IQ. He is a great addition to our ‘Our City’ culture.”
The Russian star also played for his country’s national team at the 2019 U16 FIBA European Championship, where he averaged 5.3 points in 18.7 minutes. Russia finished 4-3 and fourth overall at the event, reaching the semifinals of the knockout stage. Evdokimov racked up eight points, six assists and two steals in the third-place matchup with Italy.
Evdokimov joins a Charleston squad that’s off to a 7-3 start, adding to a group of international standouts that includes Australian native Reyne Smith, Cameroon native Charles Lampten, Nigeria native Osinachi Smart and Senegal native Babacar Faye.
