Harvard transfer Evan Nelson is returning home to play for Arizona in 2025-26. Nelson transferred to Arizona after four years at Harvard. Because he missed the 2023-24 season with an injury, Nelson was able to return to Tucson with one season of eligibility remaining.
Nelson was a three-star prospect in the 2020 class. The 247Sports composite rankings had Nelson as the 336th prospect, 55th PG and 18th player in Arizona in 2020. In his final three seasons at Salpointe, Nelson averaged 19.4 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per MaxPreps.
BYU, California-Santa Barbara, Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Stanford and Washington State were the other programs to offer Nelson a scholarship out of high school. The only visit Nelson took as a high school prospect was to Stanford in June 2018, per 247Sports. Nelson committed to Harvard in September 2019.
Nelson began his collegiate career at Harvard in the 2021-22 season. Nelson played in 68 games for Harvard with 51 starts. After spending the fall 2020 semester at Harvard, Nelson returned to Tucson when the Ivy League cancelled the 2020-21 season.
In his three seasons playing for Harvard, Nelson averaged 8.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.1 steals while shooting 41.5 percent from the field, 39.8 percent on three-point attempts and 84.5 percent from the free throw line with a 51.eFG percentage.
Entering his fifth year in college and as a Tucson native, Nelson should be a leader for Arizona in 2025-26 with returning starting point guard Jaden Bradley, wing Anthony Dell'Orso, forward Tobe Awaka and center Motiejus Krivas, Nelson provides Arizona with good perimeter shooting and another true point guard.
Arizona lacked another true point guard when Bradley was not on the floor in 2024-25. Nelson also gains a reliable shooter with the addition of Nelson. Arizona finished 189th nationally during the 2024-25 season, shooting 33.8 percent on three-point attempts.