Alabama Basketball: Sizing up Crimson Tide without Jahvon Quinerly

The NBA Draft occurred last week, so it seemed logical to assume the movement of college basketball players for the offseason was over. Alabama Basketball guard Jahvon Quinerly had other plans.

On Sunday, Quinerly shocked the college basketball world by entering the transfer portal. The graduate transfer immediately becomes arguably the best free agent in the sport at a time when the portal entrance is shut to non-grad transfers.

While Quinerly should have no shortage of suitors for his third collegiate stop, he leaves Tuscaloosa in a tough spot as Nate Oats tries to keep things going without a number of last year’s core players.

Brandon Miller is the most significant loss, a stud during his freshman season who was drafted with the second overall pick last week by the Charlotte Hornets. Other goners include Noah Clowney, Nimari Burnett, Jaden Bradley, Noah Gurley, and Charles Bediako.

Don’t count out the Crimson Tide yet, though.

The Alabama Crimson Tide need to recalibrate after losing Jahvon Quinerly to the transfer portal over the weekend.

Quinerly seemed likely to slot in as a starter next season for Alabama. He started as a junior before coming off the bench last season but was thrown back into the starting lineup for postseason play.

His departure will put a bigger load on Mark Sears. He was already expected to be the best player on the Crimson Tide next season or least the best returning player. After transferring from Ohio, Sears averaged 12.5 points per game, shouldering a lighter scoring load than he did with the Bobcats. Next year, he’ll be expected to produce closer to the 19.6 points per game he averaged during his final campaign for the MAC school.

There are incoming transfers that can fill the void too. Aaron Estrada is the most significant, coming off a 20-point-per game season at Hofstra. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. could also be a bigger option; the Cal State Fullerton transfer averaged 16.3 points per game during his junior season.

Sophomore Rylen Griffen and freshman Davin Cosby Jr. – who enrolled early last year – are in line for some depth minutes at the guard spots. They will likely cede ground to the transfers, though.

Then again, maybe Oats should reorient the team’s style of play to go inside more. Grant Nelson was a major transfer addition from North Dakota State after he averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for the Bison. Nelson has the ability to stroke the occasional three, but is better working in the post.

Alabama could go looking for outside help with one scholarship now available. It could also decide not do that and keep a spot open for an early enrollee. One rumored possibility according to Bama Hammer is Joe Toussaint, who hangs in the balance following the upheaval at West Virginia.

Sears, Estrada, and Nelson seem like the guaranteed starters, with Griffen, senior Nick Pringle, and star freshman Jarin Stevenson among those likely to compete for the other two spots.

The loss of Jahvon Quinerly is a tough blow for Alabama, especially considering his enthusiasm for returning to the program seemed to be. Still, the Crimson Tide should be alright.