5-Star Hoopster Jarin Stevenson To Play For Alabama in 2023-2024

In a whirlwind romance, Alabama received a basketball commitment from 5-star hoopster Jarin Stevenson on Wednesday. After offering the 6-8/210-pounder a little over of month ago, things moved mighty fast as the Pittsboro, NC native reclassified from the Class of 2024 to 2023 to be eligible in the coming season.

Many fans are wondering how coach Nate Oats and three brand new assistants were able to entice Stevenson away from Tar Heel country and the alma mater of his mother, UNC, in such a short time. The reclassification and Tide depth chart were big factors.

With former Tide players Brandon Miller (6-9), Noah Clowney (6-10), and Charles Bediako (7-0) filing for the NBA Draft plus Noah Gurley (6-8) out of eligibility, Alabama’s front court suddenly has many holes. With only forward Nick Pringle (6-9) returning, Bama hopes to fill those vacancies with freshmen Sam Walters (6-8), Mouhamed Dioubate (6-7), Kris Parker (6-6), and now Stevenson. It is likely that the Jarin could be a starter from Day 1.

The other two finalists for the power forward’s signature were North Carolina and Virginia. The Cavaliers did not have any scholarships to give off their 2023-2024 roster. UNC was believed to have an opening but the Heels have a deep group of power forwards.

It is worth noting that UNC currently has Zayden High, Jalen Washington, Jae’Lyn Withers, and Beau Maye on the roster, all of whom are power forwards. I think we can safely say that Washington will spend more time at the five, but Stevenson would have some competition for playing time should he decide to commit to Carolina.

This one has got to sting for Hubert Davis and Tar Heels nation. UNC offered Stevenson way back in October of 2021 and looked like the leader for his commitment for over a year.

Another big factor in Stevenson’s decision quite frankly has to be the job that Oats has done in building Alabama into a national power. It’s an accomplishment worthy of a new arena in most parts of the world.

Stevenson was ranked the No. 19 player in the 2024 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite, and the third-ranked power forward. In addition to UNC and UVa, he also visited Georgetown and Missouri during the recruiting process. He told reporters that he will arrive in Tuscaloosa in early July.

Stevenson is the son of former Richmond Spiders four year starter Jarod Stevenson who is also his high school coach. His mother, Nicole, played women’s basketball at UNC and is an assistant coach to her husband - a double-coach’s kid. Jarin spent most of his childhood in South Korea where his father played professionally. The family moved back to North Carolina when Stevenson was in middle school. He averaged 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game during his junior season which earned him Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year honors.

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