Jarin Stevenson’s Thoughts on Caleb Wilson’s Second Half Against Navy

Jarin Stevenson scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds, shooting 4-6 from the field, 1-1 from three and converted both of his free throw attempts on the night against Navy. The Alabama transfer played 34 minutes and concluded with a plus-minus of 19 — the highest on the team.

Stevenson, a Chapel Hill, North Carolina native, is now playing for his hometown team after spending two years as a Crimson Tide. And that decision is working out well for him thus far, finding himself in the starting lineup and the ability to make impactful plays, whether it be fighting for the ball or playing hard-nose defense, or knocking it down from beyond the arc.

Nov 18, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) looks on during a free throw in the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Following the game against the Midshipmen, Stevenson talked about freshman Caleb Wilson's emotions that ignited during the second half.

"Yeah, he was definitely going out there," Stevenson said. "He saw that we weren't playing our best and he wasn't playing his best, so he was trying to go out there and make plays — help our team out. I think that's part of the mentality you gotta have: when things don't go well, you gotta go out, be aggressive and make plays. And again, he's a big part of the team."

Nov 18, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) brings the ball up court against the Navy Midshipmen in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Reminder: North Carolina held a seven-point lead over Navy heading into the locker room. And that was a lot closer than head coach Hubert Davis would have probably wanted it to be before the contest. The Tar Heels were then led by Wilson scored 17 points in the second half — the only player for Davis and the staff to enter double-figures during the last 20 minutes of regulation.

It was takeover time for the freshman, despite being one of the youngest on the team; he is a big component of the team's offense flow. And if he is not firing on all cylinders, then that makes things a bit harder for North Carolina.

Jarin Stevenson's Impact

Stevenson is making an impact, and it has shown. The 6-foot-10 and 215-pound forward is averaging seven points and five rebounds, while shooting 40 percent from the field. However, he has converted only 28 percent from the three-point mark and 78 percent from the free-throw line.

The Tar Heels are going to need Stevenson's presence, especially on defense, as his ability to switch along the perimeter and guard big men is a special skill that will help UNC out in the long run — bigger and athletic teams will be hard to guard unless the defense is tight.

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