Nate Oats expects Jahvon Quinerly back at Alabama for 2023-24

Reports are the Alabama basketball is having a heck of a Tuesday afternoon. The Crimson Tide’s 2023-24 roster got a welcome piece of expected news when starting point guard Mark Sears officially confirmed his intentions to return to Tuscaloosa for another year. And now, his veteran backcourt mate, Jahvon Quinerly is reportedly returning as well.

According to Nick Kelly of the Tuscaloosa News, Nate Oats said that he expects Quinerly back to Alabama after he pulls out of the 2023 NBA Draft, writing in a tweet:

“Nate Oats: We anticipate Quinerly coming back.”

Kelly provided a follow-up tweet clarifying that Oats isn’t revealing Quinerly’s final decision: “This isn’t for sure, though. Quinerly has a workout with the Bucks. Deadline to decide is tomorrow.” He also added from Oats: “Great news on Sears. Hopefully we get news like that soon on Quinerly.”

Assuming the return does wind up happening, it’s huge news to get a experienced guard like Quinerly back on the team. But the development also comes in the immediate aftermath of some rumblings Monday night that JQ would potentially hit the transfer portal if he opted to withdraw from the draft.

Per Oats, those worries are all for naught and Quinerly will return to Alabama form one of the SEC’s top backcourts next basketball season if he does pull out of the draft. Few tandems in the country would have the experience and pedigree of a Sears-Quinerly combo next winter. Big time news in the works for the Tide.

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.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.