Jarin Stevenson, a 6-foot-11 forward and former standout from Seaforth High School in Pittsboro, North Carolina, is returning home to join the University of North Carolina (UNC) men’s basketball team. After two seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Stevenson has committed to head coach Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels through the transfer portal, bringing with him two years of remaining eligibility.
Stevenson’s high school recruitment was notable, as he was a highly-touted prospect rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN and 247 Sports in the Class of 2024. Initially, UNC was heavily involved in his recruitment and considered a leading contender for his commitment. However, Stevenson chose to reclassify, effectively skipping his senior year of high school, and joined Alabama as part of the Class of 2023.
During his freshman year at Alabama, Stevenson played a pivotal role in the team’s journey to the Final Four in 2024. Notably, he scored a then-career-high 19 points and made five three-pointers in an Elite Eight victory against Clemson, helping the Crimson Tide secure a spot in the national semifinals. In his sophomore season, Stevenson started 22 of Alabama’s 37 games, including a significant performance where he scored 22 points in just 20 minutes during a 103-80 win at Texas. He also reached double figures in each of Alabama’s two SEC Tournament games. However, his contributions in the NCAA Tournament were limited, scoring a total of six points across four games, including a scoreless outing in the season-ending loss to Duke in the Elite Eight.
Statistically, Stevenson’s performance remained consistent over his two seasons at Alabama. He averaged 5.3 points per game as a freshman and 5.4 points as a sophomore, with shooting percentages of 41.8% and 42.9% from the field, respectively. His three-point shooting hovered around 31%, and his free-throw percentage saw a decline from 68.9% to 59.7% between the two seasons.
Now, Stevenson brings his experience and skills to a UNC program that has expressed a need to bolster its frontcourt. His addition marks the fourth transfer to commit to the Tar Heels during the 2025 offseason, signaling a strategic move to enhance the team’s competitiveness in the upcoming seasons.
