Jarin Stevenson may be the best freshman in the state of North Carolina, and will probably start trending on the national level any time now. That is the point of this entire piece and I wanted to go ahead and get that out of the way. Also, before I get any further into this writing, I would also like to say I no longer partake in state rankings, I did for the better part of eight years, but no longer do I go down that rabbit hole.
Now that is out of the way, let me introduce you to Jarin Stevenson. Stevenson is a freshman at Northwood High School in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Coming into last night’s game, Stevenson was averaging 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Where do we begin...
Bloodlines
Maya Angelou once said, "If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going." So let's go through where Stevenson comes from.
We will start with his mother, Nicole (now Stevenson, then Walker). Coming from Fayetteville, North Carolina, she stands 6’3” and played collegiately at the University of North Carolina.
If you say the name Jarod Stevenson around the University of Richmond basketball program, you will hear terms like “Richmond legend” thrown around. Jarod, a 6’6 wing, played at Richmond for 1994-98. In 1998 he was named the CAA player of the year when he averaged 19.1 points, 6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
That same year, 1998, Jarod Stevenson also scored 24 points in the upset of No. 3 South Carolina in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Jarod then went on to play professionally, overseas for 20 years. Also, in that 20 years span, he played for the South Korean national team, leading his team to gold in the 2024 Asian Games.
In His Words
Q: How would you describe your game?
“I can handle a little and shoot from the mid-range in. I can stretch it out to three some, but I really like rebounding the ball.”
Q: Talk a little about your parents and their athletic accomplishments?
“My mom went to UNC and my dad to Richmond. My dad was one of the best in the league during his time there. He played pro in Korea as well.”
Q: Without playing travel ball this summer, what did you work on?
“I worked on shooting a lot. I worked on my skills with my dad, ball handling and stuff in the driveway. We also played a lot of 1v1, I got him a couple times!. Oh, we really did a lot of jumping stuff, try and get more athletic.”
Q: What are your goals for yourself this season?
“First I want to make the playoffs. Then I hope we make a run. I hope we don’t lose the rest of the year. Personally, I would like to average a double-double the rest of the season.”
Q: Do you have a dream school you would like to go to?
“UNC, because of my mom and Michael Jordan.”
Rivals Reaction
Only a freshman (14 years old), in his first two varsity games of his career, Stevenson went for 20 points and 7 rebounds on 6 of 7 from the field and 8 of 11 from the line in game one, and then 20 points and 8 rebounds on 8 of 12 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line.
As you watch him, it is the little things that stick out to you. On one play, a post feed, the opposing team were collapsing two and three guys onto him every time he touched the ball, he caught the entry pass, turned to face the basket and then whipped the ball to where the help came from. It was pure instinct, but an incredibly mature play. But then you saw that same thing continue to happen each time he was fed the ball. His vision and feel is already there.
Then you look at the motor. Naturally at a lengthy 6’8” you expect him to rebound the ball, however it is the way he goes about it. He is a highly active out of his area rebounder. On one play in particular, he had his man boxed out on the left side of the rim. The ball, a 3-point shot from the opposing team, was missed on the right-hand side. He got his first tip on the ball just outside of the paint, and then chased it all the way to the sideline until it ultimately went out of bounds.
He plays with an innate toughness, an activity level like he does not know any better. He has great hands and is very fluid in his movements. He is one of the guys you just watch move around for a couple of plays, even without him scoring it or getting a touch, you can see that he has all the components to be a major college level player.
Here is his case, this is why Jarin Stevenson could be the best player in North Carolina’s 2024 class, but keep in mind, I don’t do state rankings anymore *wink*.
