Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly withdrawing from NBA Draft, returning to school

According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly has withdrawn his name from the 2023 NBA Draft and will return to school. While it’s a move head coach Nate Oats expected, Quinerly heading back to Tuscaloosa is huge news for the Crimson Tide.

Quinerly will be entering his fifth season with the Alabama program, spending one on the sidelines as a redshirt player. He originally began his career during the 2018-2019 season at Villanova. Mix in a season of eligibility via the COVID-19 year and Quinerly has another year of college ball in him.

There was a bit of a regression from Quinerly from a stats perspective last year. He averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Oats used him off the bench for the majority of the season. However, once Alabama reached the stretch run, Quinerly was a starter and played a critical role in a Sweet Sixteen run.

With the return of Quinerly, Alabama only adds to the loaded backcourt they hold. The focus for Oats will quickly switch the landing somebody to play down low. Losing Charles Bediako was a surprise for the Crimson Tide and were betting on him returning.

Having a ton of skilled guards is never something to complain about in today’s college basketball though.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.