Alabama basketball has a tough test ahead to get back in the win column following Saturday's loss to Oregon .
On Wednesday, the No. 12 Crimson Tide (6-2) tipoff at the SEC/ACC Challenge in Chapel Hill to face No. 22 North Carolina .
As eyes shift from football to basketball, the second annual multi-night event will be broadcast on ESPN .
DEBUT ON DECK? Nate Oats updates Chris Youngblood injury status for Alabama basketball before UNC rematch
IN THE POLLS: Oregon's championship upset over Alabama basketball sends the Ducks up 27 spots
Here are three things to know before Alabama and UNC (4-3) meet for the first time since the Tar Heels ' two-point NCAA tournament loss in March.
With a trip back home to Chapel Hill on deck, last week was a good time for the sophomore guard out of Seaforth High (North Carolina) to get his 3-point shot back.
Stevenson, the son of UNC women's basketball three-time ACC champion Nicole (Walker) Stevenson, had missed all 18 of his attempts from beyond the arc before Rutgers and Oregon last week, going 2 for 3 against the Scarlet Knights and 3 for 4 in the second half against the Ducks.
When Stevenson last faced UNC, fourth-seed UA emerged with an 89-87 upset of the top-seeded Tar Heels on its historic Final Four run. However, he didn't do much in his 15 minutes, producing four rebounds, an assist and a block. But his production wasn't needed during the matchup that became "the Grant Nelson game."
Then-managing the No. 5 spot, Nelson surged UA to victory with a season-high 24 points, 12 rebounds and a handful of critical blocks. The senior forward's role Wednesday could look a little different with the addition of center Clifford Omoruyi from the transfer portal.
Alabama also finds rim protection from big Aiden Sherrell, one of three freshmen on the country's No. 2 recruiting class.
UNC has its own freshmen studs, highlighted by the third best small forward in the 2024 recruiting class, Drake Powell , who is averaging 22.4 minutes despite not starting through seven games. One of four players shooting over 42% from downtown, Powell has 24 defensive boards of 26 total rebounds on the season with five steals, and shares a team-high seven blocks with junior Jalen Washington.
Beyond its 12.8-turnover average compared to a lofty, but lesser 9.5 per game for UNC, Alabama's biggest problem against UNC is the Tar Heels' five scholarship players back from last season's March Madness run. Those veterans have forged the No. 8 scoring offense among NCAA Division I programs, averaging 89.7 points per game against what KenPom has evaluated as the 10th hardest schedule in the nation — just one spot behind Alabama's gauntlet of opponents.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball Jarin Stevenson's 3-point shot back in time for UNC
