Chapel Hill native Jarin Stevenson is helping spur Alabama's Final Four run
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Across the Triangle, there is Wolfpack fever as the NC State men's basketball team prepares to play in a Final Four on Saturday for the first time in 41 years.
But there's another game in the with a strong local tie in the matchup between defending champion UConn and Alabama.
It feels like the Crimson Tide has been the most overlooked team in the Final Four, amid the feel-good story of NC State, the redemption story of Purdue and the quest for back-to-back titles by the Huskies.
"I feel like we're going to put on a show, getting the game plan down and everything," said Alabama freshman Jarin Stevenson who has basketball in his bloodline.
ABC11 spoke with Stevenson and his family from their hotel room in Phoenix.
The 6-foot-11 Stevenson was born in Chapel Hill and grew up in Chatham County, eventually graduating early from Seaforth High School in Pittsboro.
His dad, Jarod Stevenson, was a prolific scorer at Richmond and then played overseas for 20 years, and his mom, then Nicole Walker, is a Tar Heel who played for ACC championship teams at UNC in the 1990s.
Stevenson considered UNC, Duke and NC State when looking at colleges but after reclassifying in high school, felt Alabama was the best fit for him.
"As we looked for the rosters, things opened up in Alabama, he got along with the coach, the coaches, the training staff, the academic adviser and it was just like it was a perfect fit," Nicole Stevenson said.
There are no hard feelings for Mom, even after the Crimson Tide eliminated the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 last week.
"When it comes down to it, I love the Heels, but I've got to go for my son," Nicole Stevenson said. "Like, I'm always going to pick my family first."
Alabama's game against the top-seeded Huskies follows the NC State-Purdue game on Saturday night.
"Most teams don't make it this far ... the whole country is watching to see how these teams do," said Jarod Stevenson, Jarin's dad. "So, he's starting to realize how many people are watching."
WATCH: Raw interview with the Stevenson family
If the Elite Eight game against Clemson is any indication, Stevenson is ready for the spotlight. He came off the bench and scored 19 points while making 7-of-11 shots from the floor and 5-of-8 3-pointers in the Tide's 89-82 win against the Tigers. He didn't score against his hometown Tar Heels but did grab four rebounds and recorded an assist in 15 minutes of action as the Tide won 89-87.
"I think it's amazing to think that there are four teams that are still playing - everyone else's season has ended - and then I definitely think that people should tune into our game as well because it could be ... what a wonderful Cinderella story it could be if NC State beats Purdue and if Alabama beats Connecticut," Nicole Stevenson said.
