College Basketball

Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly is putting the world on notice

Updated Mar. 24, 2021 4:56 p.m. ET

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It isn't always about how you start. Sometimes, it's how you finish.

If there is one player who embodies that spirit, it is Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly.

The Alabama Crimson Tide enter the Sweet 16 as one of the hottest teams in the country. They've won eight straight games, including an SEC Tournament championship, to cap a season in which they were also their conference's regular-season champions.

That success is due in large part to the maturation of Quinerly, who is just a redshirt sophomore.

The New Jersey native graduated high school in 2018 as one of the most heralded recruits in the country. He was named a McDonald's All-American before committing to play at Villanova.

But his freshman season with the Wildcats didn't go according to plan.

Quinerly played only 9.1 minutes per game and averaged just 3.2 points, appearing in 25 of Villanova's 36 games. He entered the transfer portal after that rocky freshman season and landed in Tuscaloosa.

He has used his fresh start and change of scenery to remind the country why he was one of the most sought-after recruits in his class.

Quinerly has scored in double figures in 22 of his 28 games this season, including a current streak of 14 straight. He is Alabama's second-leading scorer, averaging 12.7 PPG, and the team's top 3-point shooter, at 44.2%.

He has done all of this while coming off of the bench.

Quinerly's all-around offensive skill set makes him tough to handle, and that figures to be one of the key ingredients for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, as detailed by Tyler Martin for "Sports Illustrated" ahead of the SEC Tournament.

"His all-around ability to drive to the rim and finish, kick the ball out to the open man, three-point shooting and development on defense is exactly why he could be the Crimson Tide's x-factor for a deep run in March, both during the league tournament in Nashville and in Indiana, where the national title will be decided."

Quinerly proved that to be the case in Alabama's run to the SEC championship, and so far in the Big Dance, he has continued to make an impact with his steady play. Through two NCAA Tournament games, he has averaged 12.5 PPG and 6.5 APG while shooting 42.8% from 3-point range.

Quinerly has used this setting to prove that he is one of the country's elite guards. He has also proven that Alabama deserves to be with Gonzaga, Baylor and Michigan in the conversation about the best teams in the country.

In addition to all of this, Quinerly is using his platform to advocate for the rights of student-athletes across the country.

On the eve of the NCAA Tournament's tipoff, various student-athletes took to social media and demanded that the NCAA change its rules to allow them to not only secure representation but also profit from their names, images and likenesses.

One of the most notable athletes to join the protest was Quinerly.

As his run in March with the Crimson Tide continues, the guard has a chance to keep raising his profile and establish himself as the player he was billed as coming out of high school.

He also has a chance to be part of a watershed change for student-athletes.

The tide is changing. For Quinerly, that is a win-win.

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College Basketball

Alabama Crimson Tide

Jahvon Quinerly

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