Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly makes injury return in second half vs South Alabama

Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly made a surprise return to the floor in the second half on the road against South Alabama. He underwent offseason ACL surgery after suffering a knee injury in the NCAA Tournament, with his initial timetable placing his return closer to Christmas.

Although more recent comments from head coach Nate Oats indicated that the timetable had moved forward for his star, even he had mentioned early December as the target. The quicker-than-expected return comes as a welcomed surprise for the Crimson Tide, who advanced to 3-0 as he checks in with a knee brace covering his left leg.

He finished the game with no points on two shots, but grabbed one rebound to mark his first stat of the season in the 65-55 win.

Quinerly brings great pedigree to the lineup as a former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American who was a popular pick in preseason award lists and led Alabama to an SEC title in 2021 while taking home SEC Tournament MVP honors.

More on Jahvon Quinerly, ACL recovery

Nate Oats had previously expressed hope that Jahvon Quinerly would be able to play some in the non-conference schedule, but game three of the season would have seemed a bridge too far even a short time ago.

“We were [initially] hoping to have him back by SEC play. We might get him back a little bit earlier. It’d be great if we could get him some non-conference games in before we hit SEC play,” Nate Oats said.

In 2021, Jahvon Quinerly was the SEC Tournament Most Outstanding Player. During the 2021-22 season, he was second on Alabama in scoring and assists, with 13.8 points and 4.2 assists per game.

Prior to coming to Alabama, Jahvon Quinerly went to Villanova. During his freshman season, 2018-19, he averaged 9.1 minutes per game with the Wildcats before he decided to transfer.

While Jahvon Quinerly works his way back from injury, Alabama will rely on Ohio transfer Mark Sears and transfer and freshman Jaden Bradley at the point guard position. However, once Quinerly returns, it should be his job.