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Jarin Stevenson\u2019s commitment to Alabama in the summer of 2023 was a gut punch to anyone in Carolina Blue. The Seaforth High School superstar and son of a former Carolina women\u2019s basketball player had been heavily recruited by UNC and was previously considered a future Tar Heel. But head coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide swooped in to convince the Chapel Hill native to reclassify, effectively skipping a year of high school at Seaforth and arriving in Tuscaloosa a year early.<\/p>\n
To add insult to injury, Stevenson\u2019s Alabama teams then beat Carolina twice in the span of two seasons: the Tide upset No. 1 seed UNC in the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Los Angeles, then came to the Dean Smith Center and soundly defeated the Tar Heels the following December. In the latter game, Stevenson played a crucial role in locking down reigning ACC Player of the Year R.J. Davis on defense. Generously listed at six feet tall, Davis was no match for the 6-foot-10 Stevenson.<\/p>\n
But despite a trip to the Final Four as a freshman and 53 wins across two seasons, Stevenson\u2019s Alabama tenure had not lived up to expectations. He averaged only five points per game across those two seasons and saw year-to-year drops in his three-point and free throw shooting percentages. Of Alabama\u2019s 74 total games played, Stevenson started just 22.<\/p>\n
When he hit the transfer portal that summer, Stevenson had a certain school in mind for his next stop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was definitely thinking about Carolina,\u201d he told reporters at the Smith Center Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson looks to pass in the second half against Robert Morris in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo\/David Richard)<\/p>\n Just as Stevenson was presented with a second chance, so was UNC head coach Hubert Davis. Losing out on Stevenson initially had been seen as just another frustrating miss on the recruiting trail for Davis\u2019 program. This time, Davis wasn\u2019t about to fall short again. He gave Stevenson a call.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was definitely a good feeling,\u201d Stevenson remembered with a smile. \u201cI could feel it in my body.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve known Jarin and his family for a very long time,\u201d Davis said. \u201cI\u2019m so thankful that Jarin decided to come back here. He\u2019s a great kid.\u201d<\/p>\n The native son was on his way home, another towering presence for a team hellbent on getting bigger. Stevenson would be the tallest man in most crowds, yet he may not even be the third- or even fourth-tallest on the Tar Heels. Henri Veesaar and Ivan Matlekovic have him beat at seven feet, while three other teammates \u2013 Zayden High, Caleb Wilson and James Brown \u2013 are each also listed at 6-foot-10.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s Stevenson\u2019s versatility which he believes will set him apart. There\u2019s his aforementioned defensive ability, which allows him to guard big men in the paint and also chase shifty guards on the perimeter. And there\u2019s his unique offensive skillset: Stevenson is just as keen to shoot a three as he is to power his way to the rim.<\/p>\n \u201cLike a Swiss Army Knife,\u201d is how Stevenson described his game. \u201cDoing a lot of different things on the court. Whether it\u2019s rebounding, knocking down the three ball, driving, playing defense on different positions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery hard to find that in your town,\u201d Davis said with a laugh.<\/p>\n In Alabama\u2019s Elite Eight win against Clemson which sent the Crimson Tide to the Final Four in 2024, Stevenson had one of the best games of his collegiate career: 19 points on 5-8 three-point shooting in 25 minutes off the bench (he\u2019d gone scoreless in 15 minutes against UNC two days before).<\/p>\n Indeed, Stevenson\u2019s most productive games with Alabama came when he shot the three well: he finished 4-5 from downtown and scored a career-high 22 points in a 103-80 win at Texas this past February. Of Stevenson\u2019s 312 total field goal attempts across two years with the Crimson Tide, 202 of them were threes. He made 61, good for a three-point percentage of 31.2 percent.<\/p>\n There\u2019s some context to be added, though: Oats\u2019 unique offensive style of basketball shies away from any shot which isn\u2019t either a three, a layup or a dunk. The midrange jumper, which Stevenson views as one of his strengths, is not in vogue in Tuscaloosa. Now in a new program and being coached by a new staff, Stevenson believes he\u2019s in the right environment to flourish.<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanna showcase a little more of my \u2018middy\u2019 [midrange] game,\u201d Stevenson said. \u201cJust feel more free.\u201d<\/p>\n Jarin Stevenson averaged 5.3 points per game across two seasons with Alabama. (Image via Alabama Athletics)<\/p>\n Stevenson wouldn\u2019t go so far as to say he was ever uncomfortable at Alabama. But judging by the big smile he flashed when recalling the reactions of his friends and family when he announced his move back home, it seems Stevenson\u2019s comfort level is, at the very least, higher in Chapel Hill than it was in Tuscaloosa. He\u2019ll add a local touch to a roster featuring newcomers from places as far-flung as Estonia, Montenegro and \u2013 brace yourselves \u2013 Kansas City.<\/p>\n Davis has long said he wants players with a \u201cburning desire\u201d to get Carolina Basketball where it wants to go. Who better to do that than a player who grew up a stone\u2019s throw from campus? For fans who may be losing interest in college basketball amid the era of the transfer portal, the sight of a Chapel Hill kid playing on the Smith Center floor might just be enough to get them in the door.<\/p>\n Stevenson can\u2019t wait to get started. He\u2019s back where it all began, and ready to recapture the magic which made him a hotshot high school recruit.<\/p>\n And perhaps most importantly, his parents are saving a lot of gas money.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Featured image via Jarin Stevenson<\/p>\n Chapelboro.com<\/a>\u00a0does not charge subscription fees, and you can\u00a0directly support our efforts in local journalism\u00a0here<\/a>. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by\u00a0signing up for our newsletter.<\/a><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \u2039<\/p>\n UNC men’s basketball is ranked No. 25 in the preseason edition of the AP Top 25 poll, which was released Monday.<\/p>\n <\/a> Every morning, UNC freshman Caleb Wilson wakes up and reads Stoicism. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s beneficial to your mental health,\u201d he said during a wide-ranging press conference at the Dean Smith Center Thursday afternoon. \u201cI feel like it makes me approach the days differently [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> At least one high-profile team in Chapel Hill appears to be having fun. Head coach Hubert Davis, guard Seth Trimble and center Henri Veesaar were all in a jovial mood at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte Tuesday afternoon, cracking smiles and telling jokes during their allotted 15 minutes at the podium. During Davis\u2019 speaking time, [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> UNC head coach Hubert Davis, guard Seth Trimble and center Henri Veesaar spoke at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte Tuesday afternoon. The Tar Heels have a new-look roster this season, featuring multiple incoming transfers and freshmen. Trimble and forward James Brown are the only scholarship players returning from the 2024-25 season. Here are selected highlights [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> UNC’s revamped basketball roster is full of size and talent, but there is one apparent weakness which has shown itself.<\/p>\n <\/a> Jim Tanner, the new GM of UNC men’s basketball, is another alumnus who has joined the program and just what Hubert Davis said he wanted.<\/p>\n <\/a> Few programs in men\u2019s college basketball are as historically well-traveled as UNC. Throughout their more-than-century on the hardwood, the Tar Heels have traveled the length and breadth of the country, from a cozy community center in Hickory to the cavernous Ford Field in Detroit. There are other odd confines which are on record as having [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> UNC’s Seth Trimble is confident his ability to lead will help the new-look Tar Heels have a successful season.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25081359312786-scaled.jpg\")
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