Nate Oats provides update on Jahvon Quinerly following Notre Dame upset

Jahvon Quinerly went down with an apparent knee injury in the first half against Notre Dame Friday afternoon and never returned. The Crimson Tide would go on to be stunned by the Fighting Irish 78-64 without Quinerly’s services.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats provided an update on his injury, saying postgame that he does not know what Jahvon Quinerly’s exact injury but it is, “some significant knee injury.” Oats said Quinerly was “the only guy who went to a voluntary shooting deal” last night.

Whether or not the voluntary shoot around made any difference regarding the junior’s knee is unknown.

Quinerly’s knee buckled after planting hard on his left leg on a baseline drive. His knee collapsed under him with no contact. They went into an impromptu media timeout, and by the time the broadcast returned to the court, Quinerly was taken straight to the locker room while limping despite help from two trainers on either side of him.

Minutes after he injured his left knee and heading into the locker room, he was seen on crutches in the tunnel, stuck watching his team take on Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64. An Alabama spokesman confirmed he would not return shortly before he returned to the bench.

Quinerly’s 14.3 points per game ranks second on his team this season, but Alabama’s season is over after the upset loss. Notre Dame moves on to battle a red-hot Texas Tech Red Raider squad who’s coming off a major beatdown against Montana State.

Adding insult to injury, Oats said Jahvon Quinerly’s intention was to “test the draft process” and turn professional, but the injury will “put a kink in his plans.” 

While Oats provided an update on his junior guard, he does not know the extent of the injury. “The doctor didn’t think it was good, but we don’t want to speculate until we get an MRI,” Oats said.