Jason Williford picked a good night to check in on one of Virginia’s top recruiting targets.
The night before Virginia’s game at North Carolina, the Wahoos’ associate head coach made the trip to Pittsboro to see Seaforth host Jordan-Matthews. He was there to watch Jarin Stevenson, Seaforth’s 6-foot-9 sophomore. The game wound up in triple overtime—and the four-star power forward didn’t disappoint.
His bucket late in regulation forced the first overtime; his free throw sent the game into the third. In that third OT, scoring seven points as the Hawks won by nine. Stevenson’s final line: 42 points, 21 rebounds, eight blocks and six assists.
“At first I didn’t know he was there,” Stevenson recalled to CavsCorner, “but I guess he gave me the good luck charm. It was cool that he was there.”
Williford must have liked what he saw. Last Thursday night, less than a week after that stat-stuffing performance, Stevenson heard from UVa head coach Tony Bennett, who was calling to extend UVa’s first offer to a 2024 prospect.
According to Rivals national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw, Stevenson is tracking as the top prospect in the state of North Carolina’s 2024 class. He’s ranked No. 24 in the inaugural 2024 Rivals150. With Bennett’s phone call, Virginia became the fourth school to offer Stevenson, joining UNC, Wake Forest and NC State.
“Oh, it means a lot,” Stevenson said of the offer. “He said that he feels like Virginia is a good place for me to go. It’s a good community there. And he asked me what I thought of it and I thought it was pretty good.”
Stevenson describes himself as a stretch five or stretch four, and has been emphasizing ball-handling drills to improve his versatility and guard skills in hopes of building a broader skill set than that of most high school big men. UVa coaches have discussed ways they could put that versatile skill set to use at the ACC level.
“I think they believe in the guard skills that I have,” he said. “They want me to be able to guard one through five, and that’s also what I’m trying to improve on.”
Jarin’s father Jarod Stevenson played at Richmond and while his mother, Nicole Walker Stevenson, played at UNC. His dad, also the head coach at Seaforth, believes that growing up around the game helped Stevenson develop as a skilled player. This season, he has honed his ability to apply those skills and read what’s happening on the floor in a live 5-on-5 setting.
“Because he’s getting a lot of attention now,” Jarod Stevenson explained, “so teams are trying to sent two guys at him or send three guys. So realizing what the defense is doing and making the right read, I think, is his biggest improvement.”
Stevenson has already made two visits to UVa. His first unofficial was a trip to Charlottesville in mid-September, then he returned a few weeks later for the weekend o the Blue-White Scrimmage. The family got to tour the facilities at John Paul Jones Arena and on Grounds, and attend the football team’s game against Duke. Stevenson got to meet with players on the current team, and came away impressed with the Cavaliers’ scheme.
The coaching staff has also made a strong impression on his father, who thinks his son would fit in well with the Wahoos.
“I think he could definitely help them, and it would be definitely good for him defensively,” the elder Stevenson said. “Him being versatile enough to guard five positions, I think, would definitely help him as far as being and NBA prospect. I think that’s a nice part of it.”
Only about halfway through his sophomore season, Stevenson admits he’s in no rush to make any decision on his college future. The family agrees that fit will be the top priority as they consider the versatile power forward’s options.
“He’s still just a sophomore; he’s real young,” said Jarod. “We’re just hoping to find the best situation for him, where he’ll get a chance to flourish and be himself. It’s just where he’ll be the most comfortable.”
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