Alabama basketball has been one of the nation’s best teams so far in the 2022-23 season, and the Tide may not have even reached its peak. Players such as point guard Jahvon Quinerly and wings Nimari Burnett and Dom Welch have not yet been able to contribute fully due to injuries.
Quinerly in particular can have a major impact on the Crimson Tide’s ceiling. The senior guard was the MVP of the SEC Tournament in 2021, and was voted preseason first team All-SEC this past fall. He is an elite ball-handler, crafty finisher, and inventive passer that also has the capability to get hot from the three-point line.
Jahvon Quinerly suffered a torn ACL in the opening minutes of Alabama’s NCAA Tournament loss to Notre Dame last season. He missed the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign as he continued his rehab, and was eased into the lineup during the latter portion of the non-conference schedule.
Despite showing flashes of brilliance, Quinerly did not often look like himself in the fall semester. He appeared out of sync, trying to find his role on a team comprised mostly of new players that had already established a rotation without him on the court.
For a long stretch, Quinerly wasn’t shooting the ball well and was plagued by turnovers. He went just 8-30 (26.7 percent) from the three-point line to begin the season, and had three or more turnovers in seven of his first 11 appearances.
Since the turn of the new year, it seems that Jahvon Quinerly has started to settle in. While he is still playing limited minutes, he has looked much more comfortable as of late. In the last four games, he has shot 13-24 (54.2 percent) from the field, including 7-15 (46.7 percent) from three-point range.
In Bama’s two most recent wins over Ole Miss and Kentucky, Quinerly scored in double figures off the bench in both games while dishing out five total assists and committing zero turnovers.
If JQ can continue to provide a steadying presence in the backcourt for Alabama basketball, he will help the Crimson Tide remain one of college basketball’s premier teams.
It’s not too difficult to envision Quinerly getting hot in March and lifting Alabama basketball to an SEC tournament title and a deep postseason run, just as he did two years ago.