Jarin Stevenson Returns Home as a Tar Heel

Jarin Stevenson grew up in the area of Chapel Hill, and will get to throw on the Carolina blue and white colored uniform to play for one of the biggest and successful basketball programs in college basketball. His time playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide lasted two seasons, but he showed flashes of what he can provide Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels this fall.

He is a versatile big man who is not afraid of putting the ball on the deck and taking it inside for a layup. Or can play around the perimeter and is capable of shooting three-pointers to create spacing for his teammates. And that will be an important factor, and key to success for North Carolina — spacing and being able to shoot three-pointers. Stevenson will play with Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, Zayden High, and James Brown.

RollTide had more to say about the six-foot-eleven and 210 big from Chapel Hill, North Carolina pertaining to his two years in Alabama under Nate Oats:

"2024-25
Earned CSC Academic All-District honors
Named to the 2024-25 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll
Played in all 37 games including 22 starts
Averaged 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game
Scored double-figures in seven games, including a career-high 22 points on Feb. 11 at Texas
Grabbed a career-high seven rebounds on three separate occasions

2023-24
Played in all 37 games including five starts during SEC play
Averaged 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game
Scored a season-high 19 points in Alabama's win in the Elite Eight over Clemson, converting a season-best five three-pointers
Scored double-figures in six games throughout the season
Grabbed a season-high five rebounds four times throughout his freshman campaign"

Stevenson's life before college was filled with remarkable moments as well, underscored by winning the 2023 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year award, also found on RollTide:

• "Attended Seaforth high school
• Named the 2023 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year
• Ranked as a five-star and the No. 1 power forward in the 2024 class according to ESPN before deciding to reclassify
• Ranked No. 41 in the ESPN Top 100 in the 2023 class after reclassifying
• Averaged 21.8 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game in his final season at Seaforth
• Averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16 games playing for Team United on the Nike EYBL Circuit
• His mother, Nicole (Walker) Stevenson played basketball at North Carolina where she won three ACC Championships from 1995-98 and his father, Jarod Stevenson, played at Richmond where he scored over 1,400 career points and played professionally for over a decade
• Chose Alabama over North Carolina, Missouri and Virginia"

I predict Stevenson to be a solid sixth or seventh man off the bench, with the ability to play in the frontcourt at either position. His skill set allows for flexibility to mix and match without worrying about who is on the floor for the opposing team.

Nontheless, the ACC will be a different kind of challenge compared to the SEC.

Please