Jarin Stevenson Shares Unique Perspective on Loss to SMU

The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered their second loss of the season when they fell to the SMU Mustangs 97-83 at the Moody Coliseum this past Saturday. It was not the sharpest performance by the Tar Heels, who struggled to slow down the Mustangs' offense throughout the game.

While the defensive performance was underwhelming, North Carolina's offensive production was impressive, as it shot 29-of-60 from the field, including 12-of-28 from three-point range. Both were the highest marks for the Tar Heels this season, as they entered this contest shooting less than 34 percent from beyond the arc.

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; SMU Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) shakes hands with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis after the Mustangs defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

A major reason for the high efficiency in both departments was Alabama transfer Jarin Stevenson, who totaled 16 points and four rebounds while shooting 5-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

While speaking with the media during his postgame interview, the junior forward discussed his personal performance while elaborating why the defense must improve moving forward.

Stevenson's Thoughts

Jan 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) drives to the basket past SMU Mustangs forward Corey Washington (3) during the first half at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"Yeah, it feels good to be able to knock down threes," Stevenson said. "I've been paying more attention to it, getting in the gym. I have been focusing more on it, and it feels good that is paying off."

SMU's offense was heavily predicated on penetrating the paint and kicking the ball outside the perimeter. Boopie Miller was the prime example of this gameplan, recording 27 points, 12 assists, and four rebounds, while shooting 10-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. The veteran guard orchestrated the offense to perfection against North Carolina. Stevenson expanded on that while discussing exactly how the game unfolded.

"They had a lot of different players able to attack the paint, kick it out, knock down shots," Stevenson said. "I feel like they're a very talented team. So again, it's one-on-one [matchups]. Keep them out of the paint and work from there."

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 guard Seth Trimble (7) 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

North Carolina has been built around the defense, which has caused issues for multiple teams this season. However, the Mustangs nearly scored 100 points, which they have done multiple times this season. Stevenson explained how the defense must be better moving forward.

"Definitely defense," Stevenson said when asked what his main takeaway from the game was. "They scored 97 points on us. That's unacceptable. We got to do better than that. Offensively, I feel like we had some turnovers too, that we have to better with. But mainly defense is what we have to work on."

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