Jarin Stevenson has not taken the leap on the offensive end of the floor that he hoped for. In fact, he has struggled mightily at putting the ball in the basket and as such he has earned a lot of criticism and grief from the fanbase.
But Nate Oats knows what Stevenson brings to the table and he has stuck by him in the starting lineup despite most fans not understanding why.
In Alabama's 94-88 road win over Texas A&M, Stevenson won the Hard Hat award for winning the most blue-collar points. That's his second consecutive Hard Hat as he took it home in Alabama's road win over South Carolina, too.
Tonight’s Hard Hat Award winner presented by @mcabeeinc: Jarin Stevenson#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/A1MafP7iDh
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) January 12, 2025
Stevenson's shooting numbers have been brutal. He is at 35% from the floor, 20% from three, and 53% from the free throw line. All those numbers are down from his freshman season a year ago. He was 1/4 from the floor, 1/3 from three, and 3/6 from the free throw line against the Aggies, including a pair of big misses down the stretch that could have proved costly.
But Stevenson is doing everything else right. He's just not making shots. He has been the ultimate glue guy for the Crimson Tide and has made a plethora of winning plays, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
Last season, Stevenson was a huge negative on defense. This year, he's become one of Alabama's better defenders, and perhaps their most versatile. Stevenson has been trusted to defend opposing guards and can switch onto bigs without it being a mismatch.
Stevenson blocked three shots against Texas A&M. He also came up with three offensive rebounds and a steal.
One of the most obvious examples of Stevenson's growth as a defender was when he drew the primary assignment against North Carolina star guard RJ Davis in Chapel Hill. He limited Davis and held him to 7/24 from the floor, using his length to bother him.
Nobody wants Stevenson's shots to go in more than Stevenson. His energy, effort, and sheer tenacity on the court have been a big positive for the Crimson Tide. Hopefully, the basketball gods will reward that effort and he'll get hot on the offensive end down the stretch of the season.
Regardless, his back-to-back blue-collar performances are proof positive of why Oats is playing him as much as he is.