Zeke Evans: the most important signing you're not talking about

You may be surprised by the name being touted as one of the signings of the off-season considering the numerous big name acquisitions that have been made across the NBL1 East.

Maitland’s complete turnover is an obvious headline, with the inclusion of East rivals Mason Bragg and Myles Cherry, Australian Boomer Reyne Smith and the return of two-time East MVP, Will Cranston-Lown.

Illawarra and Albury have also added additional NBL talent respectively, while Hills added NBL1 West star Shaun Stewart to their squad and Inner West look to make a large push with an extremely versatile and athletic revamped squad of their own.

Now, there sits Bankstown. Most will point to the addition of Cairns Taipans and former NBL1 East All-Star Five and Defensive Player of the Year, Alex Higgins-Titsha, as a clear highlight. 

Instead, we’re talking about youngster, and now former Penrith Panther, Zeke Evans.

Signing with Bankstown late last year, Evans says the playing roster and the opportunity to learn and grow was a key driving factor in signing with the Bruins.

“The thing that attracted me to Bankstown was the positive vibe of the group,” said Evans.

“They have a great group of guys who all strive to be better and work hard for each other, as well as great coaching staff. There’s also very high-level players like (Jason) Cadee that I would be able to learn a lot from and develop my game to the highest level I can.”

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The Lithgow product is just the kind of player that passes the eye test whenever you watch him on the court.

He’s athletic and powerful enough to hold his own with any 4, has the strength and tenacity on the boards to tangle with any 5 and has improved as a shooter to potentially slide into the 3 if needed. He has proven to be something of a Swiss Army Knife.

It comes as no surprise that a prominent NBL1 East player told me, ‘That just might be the most important signing of the offseason.’

“I see my role as a hard-working physical force who can score and help the team out in any way possible in order for us to succeed,” said Evans.

“We have an abundance of skilled guys who can all score the ball and contribute to the winning mentality we strive to have. I see myself chasing rebounds and creating opportunities for myself and my teammates to score and get stops on defence.”

This is a player Bankstown simply did not have in 2025. A team littered with star names in NBL alums Jason Cadee and Jaylin Galloway, plus proven East commodities in import Andre Wolford and Blacktown product Hayden Blankley, all excellent players in their own right. 

However, they are all at their best with the ball in their hands.

Head Coach Curtis Sardi’s squad clearly lacked a low-usage junkyard dog who could impact both ends of the floor and add flexibility across the line-up. Evans just may be that guy.

“I think people forget he’s only 22, so much growth to come & he’s already proven he’s one of the better players in the league in his position,” said Sardi.

“So to have that guy on our team and surround him with Jase, Titsha and Ted plus our young core we like the energy and hopefully toughness he can continue to bring that will spread throughout the group.”

Zeke Evans with the HAMMER ?

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It’s like going to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert, you have Anthony Kiedis’ spitting in-your-face vocals, John Frusciante mesmerizing you on the guitar and Flea providing uncontainable energy as he plays the hell out of his bass.

While sitting at the back, you have drummer Chad Smith.

Highly talented, always holding the beat, able to make your jaw drop at any second, but happy to ‘fit in’, wait for his opportunities, pick his moments and work within the funky chaos that makes the Chili’s great.

If Evans can be the Chad Smith of the Bruins this year, and allow stars like Cadee, Higgins-Titsha and imported bucket-getter Tedrick Wolfe to cook on stage, Bankstown could be serious contenders for the NBL1 East Championship.

This past season, Evans improved his points average to 12 points per game to lead the Panthers in scoring, improved his three-point shooting from 18.5% in 2024 to 31.1% (more than doubling his attempts by the way), while coming agonisingly close to averaging a double-double for the year, collecting 9.2 rebounds.

Former NBL1 East Penrith Panthers Head Coach Jarrod Moore has seen Evans’ development firsthand and feels he’ll be a welcome addition to The Lair.

“Zeke has grown in confidence year on year, realising within himself that he could not only compete at that level, but do things he hasn't done in a while,” Moore said. 

“He regularly surprises even himself.”

Evans reiterates this.

“A big thing for me was confidence and the self-belief and belief from my teammates to succeed,” Evans said.

“Trusting the work I have put in and allowing me to excel more as a player and push to achieve my goals.”

With this self-belief, a new talented roster and system for him to grow, we might just find that NBL1 East teams simply ‘Can’t Stop’ the Bruins on the right night.