Earlier in the offseason, a fellow reporter and I were discussing Tar Heel senior forward Jarin Stevenson. As the team’s only returning starter and one of the only familiar faces fans can latch on to after an offseason of upheaval, he projects to be a key player for UNC in 2026-27.
That prominent role, plus his background as a former star at nearby Seaforth High School in Chatham County, also means Stevenson will be thrust into the spotlight more often than he might be comfortable with. As the reporter joked, Stevenson is more likely to be seen helping an old lady cross the street than speaking into a microphone.
But bright and early Wednesday morning, Stevenson, Neo Avdalas and head coach Michael Malone stood at the ACC Tipoff podium in uptown Charlotte, helping the Tar Heels and the rest of the conference beckon in the new basketball season. Carolina is getting started earlier than most: its first preseason exhibition is Friday night.
Stevenson, whose quiet nature is well-known, and Avdalas, who does not speak English as his first language, might have seemed odd choices to bring to Charlotte. But Malone insisted those two accompany him there.
“I wanted [Stevenson] to be here today, because he’s a returning player, he’s from Chapel Hill and he’s a hell of a basketball player,” Malone said. “I wanted Neo to be here as the first guy that committed to me as head coach of Carolina.”
I asked Stevenson about his newfound place as a de facto Tar Heel leader. He flashed me a big, toothy grin.
“I’m more of a laid-back, reserved type of guy,” he said. “But Coach Malone and the coaching staff have pushed me to become more of a leader. That could be leading just by showing.”
The former five-star prospect who stands at six-foot-10 has plenty to show on the court. He was heavily recruited by UNC while still at Seaforth, but spurned the Tar Heels initially be reclassifying up a year (essentially skipping a year of high school) and committing to Alabama. He had one of the best games of his collegiate career in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, scoring 19 points while knocking down five three-pointers to help the Crimson Tide beat Clemson and reach the Final Four.
Stevenson has long held a reputation as an “outside-in” player, someone more keen on shooting threes than using his size to physically dominate in the post. But he had to pivot into that role last season, his first with UNC after transferring out of Tuscaloosa. With Carolina reeling after losing Caleb Wilson and with Henri Veesaar nursing a lower-body injury, Stevenson suddenly found himself playing bully ball. He did admirably for someone outside of his comfort zone: in the nine games following Wilson’s wrist injury, Stevenson averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. In the 24 games prior? 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks.
UNC’s Jarin Stevenson (#15) goes up for a shot against Louisville. (Image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Todd Melet)
“I definitely have that ability,” Stevenson said, in the closest he’ll ever come to beating his own chest. “I’m gonna be played in a lot of different spots this year, whether it’s the 3, 4 or the 5.”
Tapping into the late-season version of Stevenson is of paramount importance to Malone. It’s one of the main challenges he’s issued to his senior forward as the Tar Heels barrel toward next month’s start of the regular season.
“We chart everything,” said Malone. “And there are days [in practice] where he didn’t get as many shots, and I put that on me sometimes. I have to make sure I’m doing my job to help Jarin. The flip side of that coin is Jarin has to do his job to find ways to be more aggressive. Whether that’s running in transition, sitting down in the post against a mismatch, getting on the offensive glass, attacking the basket to get to the free throw line. There are different things that we can do to help get him more aggressive.”
Malone is also tasked with toeing a fine line: elevating Stevenson athletically, but not pushing him so far out of his comfort zone that his performance suffers.
“My mother and father told me years ago, ‘Be true to yourself,'” Malone said. “Jarin’s true to himself. If anybody’s expecting him to give a rah-rah, ‘win one for the Gipper’ speech, [it’s] probably not gonna happen. And that’s OK with me, because I take Jarin Stevenson for who he is, and I love him for who he is.”
Don’t be so sure, Coach. Because across the room, Stevenson was telling reporters about how he can lead and inspire his teammates. There’s leading by example, which we’ve already established. But perhaps there’s more to Jarin Stevenson than meets the eye — or ear.
“I work on my talking, too,” he said.
Featured image via Atlantic Coast Conference/Nell Redmond
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