UVA gets visit from 5-star power forward Jarin Stevenson

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Jarin Stevenson, a 5-star power forward from Pittsboro, N.C., had a successful visit to Virginia on Thursday, tweeting out a 30-second video of him wearing a Cavalier uniform while posing in John Paul Jones Arena.

“Had an amazing visit at UVA,” Stevenson tagged his video.

The 6-foot-10, 200-pound star from Pittsboro’s Seaforth High School, is ranked the No. 12 overall prospect in the nation according to 247Sports, as well as the No. 1 power forward in the country and the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of North Carolina. Rivals.com, On3.com and ESPN all rank Stevenson a 4-star in the recruiting class of 2024.

However, there has been some talk about the possibility of Stevenson considering reclassifying to the Class of 2023, which would mean he could be on a college campus this fall.

“Right now, it is just an option,” Stevenson told 247Sports’ Travis Branham about reclassifying back in early March. “I am still seeing things out and testing what they got and seeing if it is the best option. I think the odds are between 40 and 50 percent [to reclassify].”

Should Stevenson reclassify, certainly Virginia would be an attractive landing, including a potential starting spot available with the Cavaliers losing several frontcourt players to graduation and transfer portal. Stevenson would be the highest-ranked player to ever commit to UVA since recruiting services began producing rankings (after the Ralph Sampson era).

Had an amazing visit at @UVAMensHoops pic.twitter.com/HQJl8VmEgx

— Jarin Stevenson (@JarinStevenson) April 13, 2023

Thus far, the explosive big man holds offers from Virginia, North Carolina, Georgetown, Missouri, NC State and Wake Forest, with some interest from Duke and Arkansas. He has officially visited both Missouri and Georgetown and unofficially visited UNC and Duke.

Last season for Seaforth, Stevenson averaged 21.8 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots per game, while shooting 62 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range. He also played travel ball for Team United Program on the Nike EYBL circuit, where as a sophomore, he posted 20.6 points and 11.3 boards per outing.

Stevenson told On3 that he’s still working on his ball handling and jump shot, and becoming more versatile.

“It’s all about taking it to the next level,” the big man said. “I’m trying to push my game out to the wing and become more versatile. I don’t want to become predictable on the block. My dream is playing in the NBA.”

Stevenson’s father, Jarod Stevenson, scored more than 4,000 career points at the University of Richmond, while shooting 39 percent from the 3-point line. His mom, Nicole (Walker) Stevenson, was a member of three ACC championship teams at North Carolina (1995-98).

You can see Stevenson in action in some recent highlights below from the N.C. Elite Showcase (he’s wearing No. 15 in blue):