UNC Basketball News: Jarin Stevenson commits to North Carolina

Well, we have answers now!

We knew something had to be up when the UNC basketball program randomly backed out of their recruitment of BYU transfer Kanon Catchings.

Catchings announced his commitment to Georgia, but that didn't mean the Tar Heels ended the night empty-handed.

Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson has announced his commitment to North Carolina. The Pittsboro, North Carolina native will return to his hometown to continue his college career.

Tar Heel fans should be very familiar with Stevenson, a former top-25 recruit out of high school. Unfortunately, it didn't line up where Stevenson decided to start his college career at North Carolina, as the 6-foot-11 forward elected to play for Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Stevenson spent two seasons at Alabama, playing in 74 total games (27 starts). He finishes his time with the Crimson Tide averaging 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per-game.

North Carolina has had success in similar situations to this one. Let's remember: Harrison Ingram was heavily recruited by the Tar Heels before ultimately spending his first two college seasons at Stanford. The hope is that Stevenson could reach his full potential now that he's returning home.

Now, the decision to move on from Catchings makes a lot more sense, as Stevenson seemed destined to land with the Tar Heels from the moment he landed in the transfer portal. Although the attention was primarily on Catchings, it was never ruled out that Stevenson was an option, as the Tar Heels seemed to jump on the opportunity as soon as they realized that the interest was very mutual.

pairing didn't happen sooner, it's better late than never, right?

Stevenson adds some much-needed depth in the front-court, as he could potentially see time at both the wing and the "4" in Hubert Davis' system. His addition adds another important element for the Tar Heels this offseason as they look to revamp their roster heading into the 2025-2026 season.