By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Jarin Stevenson is a nice, quiet young man with a pleasant personality off the court.
During Thursday’s press conference at the Smith Center, the 6–10 forward constantly smiled while talking about how Coach Michael Malone’s first UNC roster has come together.
That’s just his affable personality. Malone is fine with that off the court. But the first-year Carolina coach’s mission has been to change that demeanor on the court, turning him into a more vocal, assertive senior leader.
“My challenge to Jarin when I got the job was: you might be quiet off the court, but on the court I need you to be loud,” Malone said at a press conference earlier this month. “Let your game be loud. I think Jarin’s done a really good job.”
It’s still a work in progress, and Stevenson has embraced that responsibility, even if it doesn’t come naturally. He admits that it isn’t easy.
“My personality, I feel like, holds me back a little bit,” he said, “but I’ve been pushing out of that and just doing whatever I can to help this team win. Working on my communication, showcasing different things to them, and just doing different things [and showing] leadership.”
Malone’s pitch to Stevenson has also focused on flexibility.
He wants Stevenson to be a defensive stopper who can guard one through five. Offensively, he’ll be expected to hit 3-pointers, space the floor and create opportunities for his teammates by being a Swiss Army knife.
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That versatility comes with an expectation that Stevenson will set the tone for a roster stocked with newcomers.
“Being a leader is important, especially for me and my personality and my career,” Stevenson said. “Coming into my senior year, just growing as a leader, leading new guys, the freshmen coming in, younger guys, and just getting them acclimated to college life and being a college basketball player, so I’ve been growing into that role and trying to lead them.”
Stevenson is balancing staying true to himself with adapting to a new staff’s expectations. Stevenson described himself as naturally reserved, someone who has had to work at stepping into a more vocal role.
“I’m a shy, reserved type of guy usually,” he said. “So just pushing out of that shell and doing different things as a leader, whether it’s just showcasing stuff, sometimes it’s not even talking a whole bunch. Sometimes it’s just showing different things, going over different things, and so pushing out of that shell and being able to showcase and talk and do different things with the people.”
Malone’s fiery reputation, built over parts of two decades on NBA sidelines, is central to that transformation. Stevenson has felt the new coach’s intensity directed at him specifically, and he described it as a positive force rather than something to shrink from.
“He could be fiery sometimes, and he can spark me to play better and different things like that,” Stevenson said. “He always encourages me, wants me to be more aggressive. It’s always really been a thing about me, and just getting me comfortable in the system, and we plan on playing fast, so just getting used to that, and different things like that.”
Finding that edge, Stevenson said, requires him to locate motivation wherever he can, whether that’s frustration in the moment or something bigger driving him.
“Getting me a little mad helps me, ignites me to play better,” Stevenson said. “Doing it for the name on my shirt, and just finding that and going out there and doing whatever I can to get the win.”
Fellow senior Jaydon Young, also in his second season at UNC, has watched that transformation up close, and he credits the locker room as much as Malone for pulling a more assertive version of Stevenson out into the open.
“We’re bringing it out of him, but Jarin doesn’t really understand how good he is,” Young said. “Just feeding him positive energy, giving him confidence every single day, and throwing him the ball: ‘Do your thing, bro.’ I think that gives him a little more confidence for sure. But he’s definitely putting the ball in the basket at a very, very high clip.”
Young pointed to specific habits he’s seen change over the offseason, describing a teammate who has grown more comfortable attacking the basket and finishing plays rather than settling.
“Jarin’s getting downhill. He’s trying to dunk it every time he gets close. He’s shooting good ones. He’ll never be a guy that forces, but I think he’s a very efficient player. My take on Jarin is he’ll be shaking someone’s hand next year,” Young said, suggesting that Stevenson will be picked in the NBA draft.
The pace of Malone’s system figures to be a departure from what Stevenson has played in during his career, but he was quick to note that speed isn’t coming at the expense of defensive structure. Malone has leaned on assistant coach Pat Sullivan to install those principles early in preseason work.
“Definitely play faster, but also Coach Malone emphasizes defense, too,” Stevenson said. “He’s been getting us right. He’s been working with Coach Sully [to make] sure our defensive principles and rotations are good, and that we’re having each other’s back out there. One of the main things he emphasizes is trust, and just trusting each other to be in the right position, trusting each other, communicating, and he’s really big on defense too.”
Beyond the basketball, Stevenson’s return to Chapel Hill after two seasons at Alabama has carried personal weight that shapes how he talks about this season. He transferred home in part to be closer to family, including relatives beyond his immediate household.
“It’s been huge,” Stevenson said. “Coming back, being with my family in the community. Seaforth [High School], coming back there and seeing all the students and teachers there, it’s been great. It’s been a great experience, and also different family members here too. Not just my close family, but I got my grandma here too, and it’s just been great seeing them.”
Stevenson said that the two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Ala., gave him a different perspective and made him appreciate home more.
“Just being able to balance being with my family and also having some time for myself, too. I feel like it gave me a different perspective, and I’m able to flip between each, and I feel like it’s improved my life,” he said.
As Carolina heads toward its Oct. 9 exhibition opener against Southern Cal in Greensboro, Stevenson remains the connective piece between last year’s roster and Malone’s new-look program, a senior asked to lead quietly, play loudly, and find the edge his first-year coach keeps pushing him toward.
| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams (MAX-ih-mo) | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alex Samodurov (SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Former players at other schools
| Player | Class | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
UNC schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday, ACCN | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | 7:30 Tuesday, ACCN Extra | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday, 7 p.m. | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday, 7:30, ESPN2 | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday afternoon | at Georgetown |
| 15 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| 30 | Wednesday | vs. California |
| January | ||
| 2 | Saturday | at Boston College |
| 5 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | at Louisville |
| 9 | Saturday | vs. N.C. State |
| 13 | Wednesday | at Florida State |
| 16 | Saturday | vs. Stanford |
| 19 | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia |
| 23 | Saturday | at Syracuse |
| 26 | Tuesday | vs. SMU |
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
| February | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Notre Dame |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 8 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. Louisville |
| 13 | Saturday | at No. 4 Duke |
| 20 | Saturday | at Wake Forest |
| 22 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. No. 24 Miami |
| 27 | Saturday | at Virginia Tech |
| March | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
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