Alabama Freshman Forward Jarin Stevenson Enters NBA Draft

Stevenson was listed as an early entrant in the NBA Draft, but is expected to still return to school.

Mar 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Jarin Stevenson (15) reacts after / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama freshman forward Jarin Stevenson has entered his name in the NBA Draft, per the list of early entry candidates published by NBA communications on Tuesday morning. As an early entry candidate, Stevenson maintains his college eligibility.

A source tells BamaCentral that Stevenson is expected to ultimately withdraw his name from the draft and return to Alabama.

Stevenson was a highly touted recruit, originally a 5-star prospect in the 2024 class before reclassifying to 2023 and joining Alabama as a 17-year old last summer. As one of the youngest players in college basketball he showed flashes throughout the season of what made him such a highly-ranked recruit, but also struggled with some of the physicality of playing in the SEC.

He served in a reserve role for much of the season, but started a few games late in the season when Latrell Wrightsell went down with an injury. For the season, he averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. His best game came in arguably Alabama's most important, as he scored 19 points on five made threes in the Elite Eight against Clemson to help send the Crimson Tide to its first-ever Final Four.

As an early entrant in the draft, Stevenson will have the opportunity to receive feedback on his game and see what he needs to improve on, as he's not projected to be drafted. He has until May 29 to withdraw, as does his teammate, Mark Sears, who declared earlier this month.

Check out BamaCentral's 2024-25 Alabama basketball roster tracker for a complete breakdown on where the roster currently stands.