Alabama basketball still waiting on NCAA for update on Jahvon Quinerly

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball is still awaiting word on the status of Villanova transfer Jahvon Quinerly. The five-star point guard joined the Crimson Tide this summer and has submitted a hardship waiver in order to gain immediate eligibility this season but has yet to receive a ruling from the NCAA.

“Everything’s submitted,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said following the Crimson Tide’s first official practice of the 2019-20 season. “We’re just waiting on the NCAA. Hopefully, we hear something sooner rather than later, but no update as of now.”

Quinerly’s eligibility waiver is centered around the hardship he faced after being linked to the recent federal probe into college basketball corruption. The point guard originally planned to attend Arizona out of high school but backed out of his commitment after he was involved in the FBI probe and accused of taking money from former Arizona assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson. The accusations against Quinerly were dropped in June after Richardson’s lawyer said Richardson “made it clear” he never paid Quinerly or his family.

Undergraduate players are generally required to sit out a season after transferring to their new school. However, there has been a recent trend of players gaining instant eligibility through hardship waivers. This summer, the NCAA made changes to its transfer policy which could clamp down on that process.

During the summer, Oats said the new policy could make Quinerly’s instant eligibility "more difficult." However, Alabama is still hopeful the point guard will be able to make an impact this season.

“We really don’t look into (the eligibility),” sophomore point guard Kira Lewis Jr. said. “We just take it one day at a time. Come in get better, play basketball, hang with each other off the court. When the time comes for his eligibility, we’ll see then.”

Quinerly didn’t provide much of an impact during his lone season at Villanova, averaging 3.2 points per game. He logged just one minute over the Wildcats’ final eight games. Quinerly attributes much of his struggles stemmed from the distractions of his court case. Earlier this summer, Oats said the point guard is looking for a “fresh start” at Alabama. Regardless of the NCAA's ruling, Quinerly will have four years to play out three seasons of eligibility for the Crimson Tide.

“He’s just another handler. He pushes pace,” junior forward Alex Reese said. “He passes really well, finishes extremely well around the rim. So he’s going to provide points, passing and really a lot of things.”

Contact Andrew Bone for all of your real estate needs; buyers, sellers, investors, developers. Property management; BoneHomeTours.com Call 205-531-5577 or click here