Jarin Stevenson will return to the UNC men’s basketball season and play his senior season in Chapel Hill for head coach Michael Malone. Stevenson made the announcement on social media Monday.

The 6-foot-10 wing never formally entered his name to the NCAA transfer portal following the end of the men’s basketball season, but Monday’s announcement confirms his plans to turn down any other suitors. Stevenson, a Chapel Hill native who starred at Seaforth High School in Pittsboro, spent the first two seasons of his career at Alabama. During his time in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide reached the 2024 Final Four — and beat the Tar Heels twice.

In his first season with UNC, Stevenson started 25 of the team’s 33 games while averaging 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He took on a starring role in an upset win at No. 14 Virginia in February, scoring all 17 of his points in the second half as Carolina erased a 16-point first-half deficit. Stevenson’s 17 points were a season high, but he would later surpass that mark with 19 points in a home win against Pittsburgh in February.

Stevenson is the second rising senior and Tar Heel to play significant minutes last season who has confirmed his return for next season. Wing Jaydon Young originally entered the transfer portal, but has since withdrawn his name to play his second season with the program. Multiple other UNC players from 2025-26, including Derek Dixon and Isaiah Denis, are currently in the portal with the option to potentially return to UNC. Meanwhile, star center Henri Veesaar has not yet announced any decision on his future, including whether he plans to declare for the NBA Draft.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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