[ad_1]
Tuscaloosa, Alabama — In the world of sports, the intangible is often as important, if not more, than the athletic performance on the field or court.
That’s especially true for senior guard Jarvon Quinery, according to Alabama Basketball members.
In the Crimson Tide’s first and final game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Quinery suffered a torn ACL and was sent to the locker room in the first half. Alabama eventually lost to Notre Dame, ending the team’s season. Before the game, it was speculated that Quinery would be heading to the NBA Draft, but instead he opted to return for his senior season at Alabama.
Quinally’s rehab progressed much faster than expected, and he was active on the court in 14 of Alabama’s 16 games. While he’s not shining a light on the stat sheets, he’s contributed significantly to the Crimson Tide this season in another way: leadership.
It’s no secret that Alabama has a very young team. In fact, three of his starters who are regulars on the team are Brandon Miller, Noah Crowney, and Jaden Bradley in his freshman year. With five freshmen on the team, each contributing on the court, Quinally’s leadership has gone a long way in preparing the young players for competition at the collegiate level.
Freshman guard Rylan Griffen spoke of Quinally’s leadership, saying not only did the two become best friends, but the older player has done a lot to help him develop.
“Yeah, he’s kind of a mentor,” Griffen said. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played here. Me and him had a lot of chemistry on and off the court. He became one of my best friends. We talk almost every day. We are laughing at each other.Tell each other–he and how he took me under his wing and wanted me to be great Just looking at it is a blessing to be honest.
“He’s one of those special guys and they don’t come around often. You know, most older kids don’t really have much to do with younger kids, but he does it with me.” So I’m really grateful. He and I know that we’re both going to get out there and be great together.
scroll to continue
In Alabama’s first six games of the season, the Crimson Tide finished with a 14-2 record, leading the Southeastern Conference with a perfect 4-0 record. In terms of stats, Quinerly is averaging his 6.7 points and his 1.6 rebounds per game, and he averages 17.4 minutes on court.
Numbers aside, Quinerly’s biggest contribution is helping young players develop.
“He’s come a long way with that,” said Alabama head coach Nate Oates. I really value the input I can get.And he has played many matches.I can talk to Jaden Bradley.Jaden Bradley is a freshman. [who] Talk about learning from Quinerly. [Mark] Sears has already played a lot of college games.
“JQ is a guy who really wants his teammates to do well, it’s like he got injured in college and got a bonus. He came back and was able to recover like he did. I think he’s enjoying his time here.He’s enjoying it.As a leader, he’s using all of his experience to help us be the best we can be. , I think he’s enjoying the win again.”
In the 2020-21 season, Alabama Basketball won both the SEC regular season and tournament titles, with Quinerly playing a key bench role and increasing the team’s success. In fact, Quinerly was named MVP of his SEC Tournament, provided important minutes for the Crimson Tide team, and made it to the Sweet 16 at March Madness that season.
Now, according to Oats, Quinerly is happy to be back and contributing in other ways.
“In his second year with us, he won both the SEC regular season and the tournament,” Oates said. “We did it during COVID when there weren’t that many people in the stands. It felt a little different that year. Now we’re starting to win. He’s a big part of that. In a normal environment I’m redoing it. — so I think he was big.
“We need him to continue to lead. Even if he’s not playing great himself, he can be a great leader. […] You have to play hard, you have to play the right way, you have to be a great teammate. It took him some time to get back into the mix.Someone coming back from injury takes some time to regain confidence and all. I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve done for “
Prospective No. 1 seed Alabama still has a long way to go before heading to Nashville for the SEC tournament, but their success will depend heavily on the team’s leadership pushing young players forward. And in the case of Crimson Tide, experienced leaders like Quinally ensure continued development.
[ad_2]
Source link
