VICTORIA – February is Black History Month, a time to recognize and reflect on the historical and ongoing contributions of Black people in Canada. At the University of Victoria, that recognition includes the achievements of Black faculty, staff, students, alumni and coaches whose impact extends beyond the competition floor, helping shape more inclusive and connected communities. 

From early promise to a life in the game 

Basketball entered Terrell Evans' life early and never really left. 

Growing up in inner-city Las Vegas, the now University of Victoria men's basketball assistant coach began playing at just five years old, raised in a family where competition was simply part of daily life. "My family is competitive about everything from sports to dominoes, so I've always been competitive," says Evans.   
 
By kindergarten, he was already playing on the grade three team, holding his own among the older kids. The game moved fast around him, and he learned to keep up. 

Las Vegas was big, busy, and full of distractions, but basketball gave him direction. It offered structure and, eventually, opportunity to compete, travel, and see the world. 

That path led him to Yakima Valley Community College, where he was one of the top NWAACC Junior College players in 2010-2011. The next season, he was recruited by former UVic head coach Craig Beaucamp to play for the Vikes, and despite having offers to play Division 1, he felt the move north would best prepare him for his goal of playing professionally in Europe. Over three seasons, he became one of the program's most dynamic players, leading the team to a Canada West banner, earning Canada West Player of the Year honours as well as CIS (U SPORTS) First Team All-Canadian. More importantly, Victoria became a place he chose to call home. 
 

After university, Evans followed through on that long-held goal of playing professionally overseas. He competed in France, Austria's top league, and Italy's third division, averaging more than 20 points per game and helping lead his Italian club to a championship final. It was the kind of experience basketball had promised him as a kid—new countries, new cultures, and new perspectives. 

When Evans returned to Victoria to finish his degree in sociology, basketball looked different. He was still in the gym everyday, but something else began to take shape.  

While training at the YMCA, Evans was approached by another patron who asked if he would be willing to work one-on-one with his son. He agreed, albeit reluctantly, and over the next few months the young player began to improve. Before long, Evans found himself sponsoring the athlete's youth team so they could compete in a local tournament. The sponsorship turned into a coaching role, and that group of nine players trained twice a week, competing under the name Swish at the 2018 Future Vikes Tournament where they earned a silver in the U11 division. What started as a casual commitment revealed a clear gap that needed filling. 

In March 2019, The Grind Basketball was officially born. 

Giving back to the game  

Today, Evans is the CEO of The Grind, a heart-centred youth basketball program serving more than 110 athletes from U11 to U18 across Greater Victoria. What began as one team has grown into 10, with athletes travelling from communities across Vancouver Island to train together several times a week. Players come from a wide range of social, cultural, and economic backgrounds, united by shared expectations: effort, respect, and accountability. 

Seventeen Grind athletes have already gone on to play at the next level, including U SPORTS and NCAA programs. But success, for Evans, has never been defined by achievements. 

The Grind emphasizes community as much as competition. Athletes learn how to work alongside teammates who don't look like them, live like them, or come from the same circumstances. They're taught that integrity matters, especially when no one is watching, and that how you show up off the court is inseparable from how you perform on it. 

Representation is part of that message. The Grind's coaching staff reflects a range of backgrounds and experiences, offering young athletes something subtle but powerful: visibility. Beyond basketball, the program stays connected to the broader community, participating in local events and running camps that welcome players of all ages and abilities. 

"Community has always been the most important thing for us. We've got athletes from Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Duncan, Mill Bay, and they all support and respect each other. Everyone in our program is there to put in the work. That's where the name The Grind came from—it's a universal term, and it just fit with what we're doing." 

That same sense of responsibility carries into Evans' role with the Vikes. 

Now in his second season as an assistant coach with the men's basketball program, Evans returned to the bench in a new capacity—this time as a mentor. Joining head coach Murphy Burnatowski's staff, he brings not only professional and collegiate experience but also deep ties to the program and the city. In his first season, the Vikes captured their first national championship in 28 years. This year, they sit atop the national rankings, chasing another title. 

The Vikes' coaching staff reflects a diversity of perspectives and paths, something Evans sees as essential. When young athletes look to the sidelines, they see possibility. They see futures they can imagine themselves stepping into. 

Evans' journey from varsity athlete to professional player to community builder has come full circle. Basketball gave him access to the world, and coaching has allowed him to invest back into the place he calls home.