JQ Shines in Alabama’s Upset of North Carolina

In the third-place game of the Phil Knight Invitational, the 18th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, led by senior guard Jahvon Quinerly, upset North Carolina, in four overtimes by a score of 103-101.

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"I'm still trying to process it, that was the craziest game I have ever played in," said Quinerly to Andy Katz. "Just the fight that I and my teammates showed, I mean the diversity we hit I am just so proud of my guys especially because we are a young team this year and I am super proud of them."

Against the number-one team in the nation, Quinerly played 44 minutes, came off the bench and ended the game with 21 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. This is Quinerly's best overall game since his 20-point game against South Carolina on February 26, 2021.

The former five-star recruit from New Jersey originally committed to the Villanova Wildcats in the class of 2018. After two years of not getting much playing time with the Wildcats, Quinerly entered the transfer portal just before the 2020 season. Oklahoma was the favorite to get the point guard but Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide came out of nowhere and picked up Quinerly.

In his first season with the Crimson Tide, Quinerly helped Alabama have its best season in sixteen years by winning the SEC regular season, the SEC tournament, and making the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. During the regular season, Quinerly averaged 12 points and three assists per game. In the Sweet Sixteen matchup against UCLA, Quinerly played his best game all tournament by scoring 20 points and three assists.

Last year in the Crimson Tides' first-round loss against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the NCAA Tournament, Quinerly tore his ACL and spent the whole offseason rehabbing. His season debut this year came in the Tide's third game of the year against South Alabama. Every single game, Quinerly has looked more and more like he was before the injury.