Assessing North Carolina's Bench in Loss to SMU

It was gut punch for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who were shell shocked in the loss to the SMU Mustangs on Saturday at the Moody Coliseum.

SMU's onslaught of three pointers broke down North Carolina, as the Mustangs pulled away in the 97-83 win over the 12th-ranked Tar Heels. While the result is obviously a disappointment from North Carolina's perspective, the bench production was steadfast.

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) and center Henri Veesaar (13) and guard Derek Dixon (3) and forward Caleb Wilson (8) and b7#2 come back on the court during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Early in the season, the Tar Heels would have been fortunate to have this type of output, as the starters were heavily dependent on manufacturing the majority of the offensive production. As the season has progressed, North Carolina's second unit has stepped up dramatically in multiple games, proving to be the difference into specific games.

Although the bench was not enough against SMU on Saturday, there was still a standout performance from a former starter on the roster.

With all that being said, here are assessments for each bench contributor against the Mustangs on Saturday.

Jarin Stevenson

Stat line: 16 points and 4 rebounds

Heading into halftime, Stevenson was the Tar Heels' second-leading scorer with nine points while making all three of his attempts from the field, including both three-point shots. The Alabama transfer finished the game shooting 5-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Stevenson was instrumental on Saturday, and the fact that he can be quickly inserted into the lineup after the first few minutes of the game, provides North Carolina's coaching staff with the flexibility to change things up if the flow of the game is array. That was the case on Saturday, and Setevenson came in and played a huge role in settling the Tar Heels down.

This was Stevenson's best game of the season, and if he can operate as a consistent three-and-D player, the Tar Heels are going to make some significant noise later in the season.

Grade: A+

Jonathan Powell

Stat line: 2 points and 2 rebounds

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; The North Carolina Tar Heels bench celebrates during the first half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

the sophomore forward was non-existent on Saturday against SMU. Powell only played 11 minutes, which was perplexing based on his involvement in the rotation in recent games. The 6-foot-5, 189-pound forward shot 1-of-4 from the field, including 0-of-3 from beyond the arc.

There will be other opportunities for Powell to prove himself, but Saturday was a speed bump for the talented sophomore.

Grade: C-

Derek Dixon

Stat line: 3 points and 3 assists

Dixon struggled against the Mustangs' defense in the Tar Heels' loss on Saturday, shooting 1-of-5 from the field, including 1-of-4 from three-point range.

The freshman guard will continue to experience these growing pains, but the coaching staff should remain patient with Dixon, as he possesses high potential.

Grade: C-

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