Arizona Basketball: Jahvon Quinerly’s impact on the Wildcats

The Arizona Wildcats received a commitment from elite high school PG, Jahvon Quinerly. How does Quinerly fit with Arizona’s projected 2018-19 roster?

Quinerly is one of the top high school point guards in the country and was ranked 16^th in the class of 2018 by Rivals. The six-foot guard is currently the highest ranked player in Arizona’s 2018 class since future teammates Shareef O’Neal and Brandon Williams are ranked 23^rd and 48^th respectively.

Here is a summary of Quinerly’s skillset from Brian Coleman, the President of the Sports U AAU team, from ZAGSBLOG.

"“He can run a team and make his teammates better with his playmaking ability and court vision. But he brings a new school skill set with his ability to score the ball from that position in various ways. Knocking down jump shots both mid range and long range…and his uncanny ability to score at the rim in traffic.”"

Normally, a top 20 recruit will be in the starting lineup as a freshman, but there are a handful of programs where even these elite recruits need to wait their turn. Kentucky and Duke are the programs where this happens most frequently, but, recently, Arizona has had elite recruits coming off the bench as well.

Last season, five-star recruit Kobi Jordan-Simmons was moved to a reserve role after Allonzo Trier became eligible. The season before, Justin Simon could not find consistent playing time even though he was also a top 25 recruit. However, Quinerly looks like he will avoid this trend because the 18-19 Arizona backcourt looks extremely young and unproven which means Quinerly could join the starting lineup immediately.

Both Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins are projected to leave for the NBA after this season which opens significant minutes for a group of young guards. Trier is entering his junior season and has established himself as one of the best players in the country and an All-American candidate. He averaged 17.2ppg and 5.3rpg last season and will be the focal point of the Arizona offense.

Rawle Alkins joins Trier on the wing and is also poised for a huge season. Alkins flirted with the 2017 NBA Draft and actually played well at the combine before choosing to return for his sophomore season. As a freshman, Alkins averaged 10.9ppg, 4.9rpg, and shot 37% from three.

If both Trier and Alkins leave early, like most project, that will open over 60 minutes per game between the SG and SF position. Current starting PG Parker Jackson-Cartwright is a senior so his 30 minutes per game will also be up for grabs. This leaves over 90 available minutes between the three perimeter positions.

With so much playing time available, you can easily see why Quinerly chose Arizona. He found a school with a great mix of prestige and immediate playing time.

Quinerly chose Arizona over Villanova and immediate playing time was likely a major factor. In the 2018-19 season, Villanova will have senior Phil Booth and junior Donte Divencenzo — and maybe even Jalen Brunson — in their starting backcourt. While all three guards could start, Quinerly would likely see fewer minutes and fewer touches playing alongside talented veterans.

Quinerly would have likely been used like Jalen Brunson was as a freshman. Brunson is one of the best PGs in the country, but as a freshman he started alongside Ryan Arcidiacono. While Brunson had a solid freshman season, he was forced to play out of position and was not a household name until his sophomore season. With all Arizona’s available minutes, Quinerly won’t have to worry about waiting for his turn.

Even though Quinerly has a leg up on a starting job, there are other talented players who will compete for minutes at both guard positions. Brandon Williams is also a highly ranked PG who could earn playing time, but he is ranked lower than Quinerly in the same class and at the same position. This means it is reasonable to assume that Quinerly will start over Williams.

Alex Barcello will be a sophomore when Quinerly enters the program. The 6’2 PG is not as highly ranked (114^th in 2017 Rivals rankings) as his teammates, but he could be one of the most experienced guards on the roster which could earn him some playing time. Despite being listed as a PG, Barcello could see most of his minutes playing alongside Quinerly as an off guard. Barcello should not be overlooked in the rotation, but it is also safe to assume that he won’t push Quinerly to the bench.

Wings Brandon Randolph and Emmanuel Akot will not log any minutes at PG, but breakout seasons from either could affect Quinerly’s role. For example, if both players earn starting spots at SG and SF then Barcello and Williams could take more of Quinerly’s minutes at PG.

Last but not least, Dylan Smith cannot be overlooked. Smith will be a redshirt junior when Quinerly enters the program, making him the most experienced perimeter player. Smith averaged 13.5ppg as a freshman at UNC Asheville, but his shooting stroke (81 made threes) could earn him playing time. While Smith is not a PG, if he earns minutes it could potentially take minutes from Quinerly.

Next: Ole Miss is overlooked as a potential NCAA Tournament team

While a lot can change in a year and half, it looks like Quinerly will be Arizona’s starting PG in 18-19. Quinerly made a great choice in picking Arizona because he is in line for major minutes at a proven program with a track record of getting guys to the NBA.