The roster for the 2023-24 season isn’t yet finalized, a potential domino in how the Tar Heels will look next year, will be on campus next week for a visit. Carolina has long been interested in Jarin Stevenson for quite some time now, and with him being a five-star prospect in the 2024 class, out of Pittsboro, NC, he’s high on the priority list for Hubert Davis. Stevenson is the No. 1 power forward, the No. 3 player from the state of North Carolina, and the No. 15 player overall in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports Composite, and is being recruited by multiple ACC and SEC schools. His visit comes at a time in his recruitment, that a commitment could signal a reclassification, and join Carolina for the upcoming season. The Tar Heels have kept their roster options open for next season, as they wait for Elliot Cadeau to potentially reclassify and join the team next year, along with Stevenson, who recruiting analysts believe will reclassify no matter where he commits to.
Stevenson is coming off a dominant individual year, as the 6-10 power forward, averaged a double-double in high school last year. When you look at Carolina’s roster, there is still room in the front court, as Armando Bacot is back for his super senior season, Zayden High will arrive as a four-star freshman, and Jalen Washington returns, looking to build off some nice moments as a freshman last season. Even with Carolina going away from playing two bigs at the same time, front-court depth has been a problem since Hubert Davis was hired, and adding this type of talent makes a lot of sense, both in the short term and the long term.
Even if Carolina lands Stevenson, and for some reason, he doesn’t reclassify, it would still be a huge win, landing the commitment of a five-star prospect in your backyard, something that hasn’t been enough in recent recruiting cycles. Additionally, Stevenson would join a loaded class, containing the aforementioned Cadeau, five-stars Ian Jackson, Drake Powell, and four-star prospect James Brown. Stevenson is expected to make his decision no later than June 9th.
The Four Corners Podcast: