You Can Go Home Again: Native Son Jarin Stevenson is Back in Chapel Hill

Jarin Stevenson’s 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’s 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.

To add insult to injury, Stevenson’s 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.

But despite a trip to the Final Four as a freshman and 53 wins across two seasons, Stevenson’s 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’s 74 total games played, Stevenson started just 22.

When he hit the transfer portal that summer, Stevenson had a certain school in mind for his next stop.

“I was definitely thinking about Carolina,” he told reporters at the Smith Center Tuesday.

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)

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’ program. This time, Davis wasn’t about to fall short again. He gave Stevenson a call.

“It was definitely a good feeling,” Stevenson remembered with a smile. “I could feel it in my body.”

“I’ve known Jarin and his family for a very long time,” Davis said. “I’m so thankful that Jarin decided to come back here. He’s a great kid.”

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 – Zayden High, Caleb Wilson and James Brown – are each also listed at 6-foot-10.

But it’s Stevenson’s versatility which he believes will set him apart. There’s his aforementioned defensive ability, which allows him to guard big men in the paint and also chase shifty guards on the perimeter. And there’s his unique offensive skillset: Stevenson is just as keen to shoot a three as he is to power his way to the rim.

“Like a Swiss Army Knife,” is how Stevenson described his game. “Doing a lot of different things on the court. Whether it’s rebounding, knocking down the three ball, driving, playing defense on different positions.”

“Very hard to find that in your town,” Davis said with a laugh.

In Alabama’s 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’d gone scoreless in 15 minutes against UNC two days before).

Indeed, Stevenson’s 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’s 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.

There’s some context to be added, though: Oats’ unique offensive style of basketball shies away from any shot which isn’t 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’s in the right environment to flourish.

“I just wanna showcase a little more of my ‘middy’ [midrange] game,” Stevenson said. “Just feel more free.”

Jarin Stevenson averaged 5.3 points per game across two seasons with Alabama. (Image via Alabama Athletics)

Stevenson wouldn’t 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’s comfort level is, at the very least, higher in Chapel Hill than it was in Tuscaloosa. He’ll add a local touch to a roster featuring newcomers from places as far-flung as Estonia, Montenegro and – brace yourselves – Kansas City.

Davis has long said he wants players with a “burning desire” to get Carolina Basketball where it wants to go. Who better to do that than a player who grew up a stone’s 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.

Stevenson can’t wait to get started. He’s back where it all began, and ready to recapture the magic which made him a hotshot high school recruit.

And perhaps most importantly, his parents are saving a lot of gas money.

Featured image via Jarin Stevenson

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You Can Go Home Again: Native Son Jarin Stevenson is Back in Chapel Hill

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