By R.L. Bynum
ATLANTA — It turns out that the solution to North Carolina’s lingering backup center problem was right there in the rotation.
UNC coach Hubert Davis gave 6–10 sophomores Zayden High and James Brown plenty of chances to show they could provide productive minutes to give Henri Veesaar some rest. With few exceptions, those minutes instead led to mistakes and opportunities for opponents to exploit the Tar Heels inside. Playing either in a competitive game felt risky.
At least for now, that trust has shifted.
During Saturday night’s 71–70 victory in the CBS Sports Classic over Ohio State, Jarin Stevenson slid over from his usual three spot to man the center position, and the early returns were promising. It’s the sort of move much of the fanbase has wanted, and one of the options suggested on this website after the Michigan State loss.
Stevenson, who came off the bench for the first time this season, embraced the change.
“I’m just focused on doing whatever I need to do to help the team work, whether that’s bringing energy off the bench, just being consistent and just doing different things,” he said. “Just doing whatever I can help the team win.”
The move wasn’t entirely new for Stevenson, but you have to go all the way back to his days at Seaforth High School in Pittsboro for the last time he spent much time at the five spot.
His defensive versatility made the experiment work. As he showed last season at Alabama when he did a good job shutting down UNC guard RJ Davis, he can guard anybody on the court.
“I think that’s one of my biggest traits,” Stevenson said of his ability to switch and guard multiple positions.
Stevenson was at the right place at the right time when a late-game trap led to his steal to set up Veesaar’s game-winning dunk.
“The game plan was the pressure them and force of turnover and trap,” Stevenson said. “Luckily, we’re able to get steel and get the position.”
Davis said Stevenson’s adaptability was critical against Ohio State’s physical forwards, particularly Devin Royal, who scored a team-high 18 points.
“I’ve talked about his versatility,” Davis said of Stevenson. “The only person that could really make [Royal] work to get a good shot was Jarin. Being able to play on in the post and on the outside offensively, but from a defensive standpoint, to be able to switch and play multiple positions, a huge factor for us.”
Veesaar, who battled foul trouble and played just over 32 minutes, said Stevenson’s presence gave UNC flexibility.
“He gives us tremendous versatility,” Veesaar said. “He’s going to do everything it takes to win. You love to have a guy like that on your team.”
Stevenson’s perimeter struggles continued — he missed all four of his 3-point attempts and is 1-for-14 from over the last four games — but his ability to defend and rebound made him invaluable in a game where UNC needed every stop.
“We have a lot of contributors on the team,” Stevenson said. “I feel like we’re very able to sub different people in and still having good chemistry and still being able to communicate and make plays.”
For now, Stevenson looks like the answer UNC needed behind Veesaar.
With Seth Trimble back, as Davis put it, “Just the versatility of lineups that we can do in just different situations to put ourselves in a position to possibly win.”
Looking ahead, Stevenson’s ability to slide between the three spot to center could reshape UNC’s rotation. If his defense and rebounding continue to shine, Davis may lean on smaller, quicker lineups in tight games.
That shift could give the Tar Heels more flexibility against athletic opponents and keep Veesaar fresher for March.
Photos by Adam Hagy/Intersport
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