Source: Evansville point guard Shamar Givance commits to UTEP

EL PASO, Texas - It appears as if UTEP's men's basketball team has found its point guard for the 2022-23 season.

Sources confirm to ABC-7's Nate Ryan that Evansville transfer guard Shamar Givance has committed to the Miners, giving UTEP the true point guard they have been looking for this offseason.

Givance led the Purple Aces in scoring (13.7 ppg), assists, and steals this past season, and was a key contributor in each of his four seasons with Evansville.

He will have one season of eligibility with the Miners.

A 5-10 native of Toronto, CN, Givance was identified a key target of UTEP head coach Joe Golding as he looked to replace 92% of his scoring from a 20-win team.

Guards Jamal Bieniemy, Souleuy Boum, Keonte Kennedy, and Christian Agnew all departed the UTEP program following the 2021-22 season's ends, but of that group only Bieniemy was a true point guard.

Enter Givance, who was Evansville's floor general last season dishing out 117 total assists and scored in double figures in 22 of the team's games last season.

Givance led the Missouri Valley Conference in steals in 2020-21 and was named second team All-MVC that season.

While at Evansville, Givance shared a backcourt with El Paso native and Burges graduate Jawaun Newton. Newton was also a UTEP target, but committed to Southern Illinois on Monday.

The Miners did score a commitment from junior college guard Malik Zachery on Monday, and will also bring Southern Mississippi transfer guard Tae Hardy and incoming freshman Jamal Sumlin.

Givance's addition bring's UTEP projected team roster total to 10 players, with four more scholarship still available.