TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball players have already noticed Jarin Stevenson’s improvement this offseason. A few of Stevenson's teammates discussed the 6-foot-10 forward’s tenacious driving ability with their head coach after a recent practice.

"I was talking with a couple of our guards after practice last week and they’re like, ‘Man, Jarin’s got those NBA drives,’” Nate Oats recalled during a press conference Thursday. “It’s like, put your shoulder down. He’s 6-foot-10 and he gets low when he’s driving. He drives and you’re not knocking him off the drive. He’s finishing like a man at the rim.”

The high praise for Stevenson is good news for himself and Alabama's frontcourt as Stevenson prepares for his second season with the Tide. Stevenson struggled at times during his freshman campaign, one which would have been spent at the high school level had Stevenson not reclassified to the Class of 2023.

Instead of developing at the prep level last year, Stevenson cut his teeth in one of the most physical conferences in the country. Stevenson experienced the growing pains that came with the challenge he took on. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 41.8% from the field and 31.7% from 3. The wirey freshman looked like a deer in the headlights at times, often unable to contend on the boards or defend opposing big men despite his bigger frame.

As last season went on, Stevenson’s experience slowly helped him navigate amongst the trees operating in the paint at the college level. He also found some rhythm shooting the ball, most notably in Alabama’s Elite Eight win over Clemson. Stevenson scored 19 points and buried five 3s to help seal a historic win for Alabama. It was a huge jump in performance from Alabama’s nonconference matchup against the Tigers earlier that season where Stevenson played just eight minutes and did not score.

“He made big strides last year,” Oats said. “You look at our first game against Clemson here, he looked like he still was in high school. You look at our last game against Clemson, he grew up. He looked like a man out there. He had 19 points, played well. If he didn’t play that well we don’t go to a Final Four.”

Oats is expecting another big jump from Stevenson after getting his feet under him last year. He’s been more assertive driving the ball, while also taking strides on the offensive glass. When he used to get boxed out, Stevenson is now able to compete with Alabama’s other bigs in practice to collect offensive boards thanks to a full offseason dedicated to building up his lengthy frame.

“The biggest thing for me is definitely getting stronger, becoming more physical,” Stevenson said. “We’ve been working on in practice, more collisions defensively, especially because last year we weren’t the best defensively so we’ve been working on that. That’s the main thing. Physicality, thinking through the game and going over film, seeing different coverages.”

The next step for Stevenson is to take his newfound assertiveness at the rim to Alabama’s defensive and in transition. Oats wants to see the forward grabbing rebounds and leading the break with the ball in his hands. Stevenson looked comfortable at times doing so during Alabama’s preseason scrimmages against Wake Forest and Memphis. He combined for 21 points and nine rebounds in the two games.

Stevenson’s ability to start Alabama’s fast-paced offense by taking the ball up the floor after grabbing missed shots will not only help the Crimson Tide next season but also help Stevenson stand out as a potential pro prospect. After testing the NBA Draft waters this offseason, Stevenson cited both team potential and individual growth as reasons for returning to Tuscaloosa. Stevenson’s decision to come back is already paying off individually, and should he continue on his upward trajectory, will also prove key in Alabama’s success in the frontcourt on both ends as it looks to build on its Final Four run.

“For me, I saw that we had a good team here at Alabama,” Stevenson said. “So just the chance at a National Championship. That’s always been a goal for me. I feel like I can still get a lot better through Alabama. Alabama has great coaching. Coach Oats, Coach (Ryan) Pannone, they always push me to get better and teach me a lot of different things. I feel like just going through another year here, I can learn a lot and become stronger and different things like that.”