The North Carolina Tar Heels were hoping to land a commitment from in-state prospect Jarin Stevenson. The 2024 recruit was a big target of the Tar Heels before he committed to Alabama and then reclassified into the 2023 class.
As Stevenson gets set for his first season with the Crimson Tide, he met the media before the first game. Stevenson talked about the upcoming season and what to expect. But he also had a very interesting comment about why he picked Alabama over the Tar Heels.
Per Austin Hannon of Bama Central, Stevenson said that he doesn’t have ties to anybody:
#Alabama's Jarin Stevenson on choosing the Crimson Tide over North Carolina: "I ain't got no ties to anybody."
— Austin Hannon (@austinhannon_) November 3, 2023
If you followed Stevenson’s recruitment, you know that his mom played basketball at North Carolina and his dad played against the Tar Heels during his career. Stevenson also grew up close to the university, which many thought would play a factor.
However, as Stevenson stated, this was his recruitment and the ties weren’t the deciding factor in it. Alabama likely did have a bigger role for him right away as Stevenson’s goal is to get to the NBA as fast as possible compared to being behind some players on UNC’s depth chart. The recruitment is over and Stevenson made the best decision for himself.
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