Will Jahvon Quinerly return to Alabama? The potential SEC impact if the Crimson Tide guard jilts the 2023 NBA Draft
Jahvon Quinerly recently announced that he will return to the Alabama Crimson Tide for his sixth and final season of college basketball. He had previously entered the 2023 NBA draft, however, he withdrew his name from the draft process on Wednesday.
Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports took to Twitter to break the news.
"Alabama's Jahvon Quinerly tells me that he will withdraw from the 2023 NBA Draft and return to school next season."
Alabama's Jahvon Quinerly tells me that he will withdraw from the 2023 NBA Draft and return to school next season.
How has Jahvon Quinerly performed in his college career?
Jahvon Quinerly initially committed to the Arizona Wildcats as a five-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. He reopened his recruiting following the program's corruption scandal, instead joining the Villanova Wildcats.
Quinerly averaged 3.2 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.2 steals in limited playing time as a freshman.
Following the season, Quinerly joined the Alabama Crimson Tide via the transfer portal, sitting out a season due to transfer rules at the time. He made his program debut in 2020-2021, averaging 12.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.6 steals per game.
He followed that up by averaging 13.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.
Quinerly tore his ACL in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. He was able to return ahead of schedule last season, however, his role was limited. Quinerly averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 0.7 steals per game, shot 42.2% from the field, 33.7% from three-point range and 74.1% from the free-throw line.
How will Jahvon Quinerly's return impact the SEC?
The Alabama Crimson Tide has lost plenty of talent to the 2023 NBA draft and transfer portal. While head coach Nate Oats has done a solid job at rebuilding the roster, it lacked continuity prior to this week.
Jahvon Quinerly's decision to return follows guard Mark Sears, who withdrew from the 2023 NBA draft on Tuesday. Sears will be the only returning starter from the 2022-2023 roster.
The Crimson Tide will still need to replace consensus second-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year Brandon Miller, as well as starters Noah Clowney, Charles Bediako and Jaden Bradley. The first three players remain in the 2023 NBA draft, while the latter has joined the Arizona Wildcats via the transfer portal.
Quinerly, who will be another year removed from tearing his ACL, will likely enter the starting lineup next season. His veteran presence will help Alabama replace the departed talent as they look to make a run at the National Championship.