Jarin Stevenson

Jarin Stevenson (born October 15, 2005) is an American born South Korean college basketball player for the Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Early life
Stevenson was born on October 15, 2005, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His father, Jarod, played professional basketball in several countries while his mother, Nicole, played for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He lived in South Korea for most of his childhood due to his father playing there, moving back to the United States in middle school. He attended Northwood High School in Pittsboro, North Carolina, as a freshman, and helped the basketball team reach the class 3-A state championship game.

Stevenson transferred to newly-opened Seaforth High School in Pittsboro as a sophomore, joining his father and mother, who were the head coach and assistant coach, respectively. In his first season there, he was named first-team all-conference and the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A Player of the Year with an average of 20.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.4 blocks and 2.4 assists per game. As a junior, Stevenson was named the North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year while helping Seaforth reach the second round of the state tournament, averaging 21.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 2.7 assists per game while making over 60 percent of his field goal attempts. Stevenson finished his high school career with 1,230 points scored. He also played 16 games for Team United of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Outside of playing, he excelled in the classroom and was second in his class with a 4.5 grade-point average (GPA).

Recruitment
Stevenson received his first athletic scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina, his mother's alma mater, prior to his sophomore season of high school. He became a highly-ranked college basketball prospect for two years and had an extensive recruiting process. His father said that "It's starting to seem like we have too many options," referring to all the different places recruiting Stevenson. By his junior year, he was ranked a five-star recruit in the class of 2024 and the top power forward nationally, as well as the 16th-best player overall, by ESPN. A 247Sports ranking placed him as the 10th-best player nationally and the top player in North Carolina. Among his offers, he narrowed down his college choices to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Virginia Cavaliers and North Carolina Tar Heels. He ultimately chose to re-classify to 2023 and commit to the Alabama Crimson Tide, graduating from high school a year early and forgoing his senior season.

College career
Stevenson enrolled at Alabama in time for the 2023–24 season. He made his debut in the team's season-opening win against Morehead State, scoring 12 points.