Seaforth star Jarin Stevenson chooses Alabama, will skip senior high school season
On Wednesday night, rising Seaforth senior Jarin Stevenson committed to Alabama.
He also announced he was reclassifying into the 2023 class so he could enroll this fall.
It's not often that commitment announcements have a 1-2 punch that affects their senior year, but such is the case here.
Stevenson will not have a senior year after all.
The 6-foot-10, 200-pound post player leaves behind a stellar 2024 in-state class that features a Duke recruit (North Mecklenburg's Isaiah Evans), North Carolina recruit (Northwood's Drake Powell), and an N.C. State recruit (Richmond's Paul McNeil Jr.).
Stevenson was named the N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year award over all three this past winter as he averaged 21.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.7 blocks. Seaforth, without a senior class, made it to the second round of the 2A playoffs this year and ended the year with an 18-9 mark.
Ranked by some outlets as a top-20 recruit, Stevenson was also a two-time HSOT All-State selection, making Honorable Mention as a sophomore and first team as a junior.
He helped Northwood to the 3A championship game his freshman year, where he started alongside Powell. When Seaforth opened with just freshmen and sophomores to reduce overcrowding at Northwood, Stevenson went with the Hawks and instantly put them on the map. I
It was a family affair at Seaforth, where Jarin's dad was brought on as the school's first head coach and his mother was an assistant coach. They both resigned from those positions in the last week.
Stevenson had narrowed his list to Alabama, Virginia, and North Carolina, where his mom played college basketball (his dad played college basketball at Richmond).
He ends his high school career with 1,230 points (1,011 at Seaforth), 680 rebounds, and 180 blocks in two full seasons plus the COVID-restricted 2020-21 year.
