Jarin Stevenson Outlines 2 Areas for Tar Heels’ Focus

With the 87-84 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday night, the North Carolina Tar Heels improved to 14-2 on the season and 2-1 in conference play. While the win is the most important statistic in any game, the Tar Heels' collective performance in the second half was alarming for multiple reasons.

North Carolina orchestrated a 15-point lead in the second half and was well on its way to a comfortable win. However, the Tar Heels went through eight minutes with one made field goal, allowing Wake Forest to cut North Carolina's double-digit lead to one point. Based on how the Tar Heels have conducted themselves in the second half in multiple instances, this was not surprising, but it once again begs the question: Can this team be trusted?

Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) dunks the ball against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

After recording 16 points and four rebounds while shooting 5-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc against the SMU Mustangs off the bench, Jarin Stevenson returned to the starting lineup on Saturday. The Alabama transfer did not replicate the same success against Wake Forest, totaling four points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals while shooting 1-of-6 from the field, including 0-of-2 from three-point range.

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, Stevenson elaborated on what the team has to address following the sluggish end to the win.

Stevenson's Thoughts

Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) seen on the court against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

"Yeah, definitely," Stevenson said when asked if the pick-and-roll defense has to be better. "Four switches. We got to talk. I feel like, talk louder. Talk more. Yeah, just communicate."

Offensively, North Carolina left the door ajar with 14 turnovers, which was the driving force in Wake Forest crawling back into the game. The junior forward emphasized that as an area the Tar Heels need to fix as conference play heats up.

"We got to work on that," Stevenson said. "Just being strong with the ball. I had some turnovers myself, just not being strong with the wall, seeing the defense, reading the defense, and you just [got to] be stronger with the ball when it gets tight."

Jan 10, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Juke Harris (2) goes to the basket with North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) defending during the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Going back to alternating between starting and serving as a bench contributor, Stevenson compared coming off the bench vs. being included in the starting five.

"Coming off the bench, you get to see a little bit, and then you get to go out there and make adjustments," Stevenson said. "So, yeah, it's a little different, different role, but I just embrace it and just do the best I can."

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