For the first time as a member of the UNC basketball program, Jarin Stevenson found himself coming off the bench.
With Seth Trimble's return to the lineup, Hubert Davis elected to utilize a three-guard starting rotation. This allowed the Tar Heels' head coach to move Stevenson, a 6-foot-10 versatile forward, to a reserve role, one that, based on the early results, is a move that could pay dividends for this team.
Trimble's return opens up a lot of possibilities for Davis to work with, most notably having the luxury of calling on Stevenson as a reserve.
On Saturday afternoon in the CBS Sports Classic, Stevenson was able to spell both Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson, providing quality minutes in essentially whichever role his team needed him to fulfill. A defender who can guard multiple positions, Stevenson was an active participant on the boards, and, when his number was called, capitalized on some timely baskets.
One of the lineups we saw an extended look at featured Stevenson as the five, with Caleb Wilson at the power forward spot. It was a look that worked, given both players' versatility, size, and athleticism.
Wilson agrees with that notion, as he discussed why he thinks it works well when he and Stevenson share the front court together.
"He gives us rebounding," Wilson said. "The lineup with me and Jarin, we're both gunners, we're running as hard as we can, trying to create advantages knowing that we're quicker than most five-men we'll play against."
Wilson and Veesaar both spoke highly of Stevenson during their media session following the game, but the praise didn't stop there. Hubert Davis also spoke highly of what his junior forward brings to the table, especially his strong defensive presence at whichever position he plays.
“Absolutely huge (Stevenson's versatility). I’ve talked about his versatility, but to be honest with you, Devin Royal was real. Just his ability to be able to score, he’s not rushed, he’s strong, plays off two feet, and the only person that could really make him work to get a good shot was Jarin," Davis said. "To have that guy who’s 6-9, with versatility, being able to play in the post, on the outside offensively, but from a defensive standpoint, to be able to switch and play multiple positions, is a huge factor for us.”
Let's face it: the duo of Wilson and Veesaar are going to play a lot. It's also extremely likely that Stevenson will be on the floor a lot with both, similar to what we've seen from the starting lineup through non-conference play.
The main objective here is this: moving Stevenson to the bench isn't a demotion. In fact, it likely will open up more minutes for him in different situations, something the junior forward seems to be very good at adjusting to on the go.
While James Brown and Zayden High have been ineffective in the backup center role, Stevenson proved on Saturday that he can handle the minutes to keep Veesaar as fresh as possible.
Without a doubt, Jarin Stevenson's versatility will continue to be an essential factor for the UNC basketball program, especially with conference play just around the corner. Given the skills that Stevenson possesses, you'll likely see a lot of him moving forward, especially given that Davis has full-faith that his junior forward can fulfill any role he needs him to in order to win games.