Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball

The NCAA has denied point guard Jahvon Quinerly's waiver request for immediate eligibility after transferring from Villanova to Alabama, per an official statement from Crimson Tide men's basketball head coach Nate Oats.

"We just received notification from the NCAA that our request for Jahvon Quinerly's immediate eligibility has been denied," Oats stated.

"We are disappointed in this decision and will be appealing. He and his family have been through a lot, and despite those challenges, Jahvon has done everything he's been asked since he's been here."

Quinerly also provided his own statement, per Matt Zenitz of AL.com:

Statement from Jahvon Quinerly https://t.co/XUdCa99j3z pic.twitter.com/RRofkFPB4Y

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) October 25, 2019

According to Zenitz, "the Tide's waiver request is built around the belief Quinerly was in need of a fresh start after—as Oats put it in June—unfairly having to deal with his name being brought up during the FBI's college basketball corruption investigation." 

Zenitz wrote that Quinerly initially committed to Arizona but decided against heading to Tuscon when the FBI arrested his lead recruiter, Emanuel “Book” Richardson.

The ex-Arizona assistant men's hoops coach was caught on tape saying he gave $10,000 to Quinerly's mother, per Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports. However, concrete evidence proving the transaction occurred has not been revealed.

Per Adam Zagoria, Richardson told Villanova that he had not actually paid Quinerly or anyone else.

The 5-star recruit out of Hudson Catholic High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, averaged 3.2 points per game off the bench last season after losing out on a starting job to Collin Gillespie, according to ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello.

He decided to transfer from Villanova on April 3 before committing to the Crimson Tide two months later, according to Emily Caron of Sports Illustrated.

Alabama went 18-16 overall and 8-10 in SEC play last year, missing out on the NCAA tournament. The Tide and head coach Avery Johnson parted ways after the season.

Oats, who guided the University of Buffalo to three NCAA tournament appearances and two first-round victories in the past four years, now runs the team in his first campaign.

Unless Quinerly wins an appeal, the Crimson Tide will start the season without its new transfer against Penn on Tuesday, November 5.

Jahvon Quinerly announced his decision to transfer from Villanova to Alabama, according to Evan Daniels of 247Sports.

The point guard confirmed the announcement on his Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/RealJahvonQ/status/1135343633148854280

Quinerly was a 5-star recruit for the Wildcats in the class of 2018 and the No. 29 recruit overall, according to 247Sports, and was expected to make an immediate impact for Villanova. That never materialized, however, with Phil Booth and Collin Gillespie seeing the majority of minutes at guard and Joe Cremo playing a larger role off the bench.

Quinerly, meanwhile, averaged just 3.2 points in 9.1 minutes per game, appearing in 25 of Villanova's 36 contests. After the season, he decided to leave the program.

"We had a very candid meeting and Jahvon has decided to transfer to another program," head coach Jay Wright said on April 3, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com. "We'll miss Jahvon. He's been an outstanding teammate and was an integral part of our success last season. We wish him the best as he approaches the next step in his basketball career."

Playing time may not have been any more plentiful for Quinerly had he stayed, either, with Gillespie returning and 5-star shooting guard Bryan Antoine—247Sports' No. 16 player in the class of 2019—and 4-star shooting guard Justin Moore incoming.

He decided to find a better opportunity elsewhere, which is big news for Alabama, as he could make an impact next season, per Jeff Goodman of Stadium:

Source told @Stadium that Quinerly will apply for a waiver from the NCAA to try and play this season at Alabama. Crimson Tide perimeter could be damn good with Kira Lewis, Beetle Bolden, wing John Petty and Quinerly. https://t.co/8iLPfYAfmZ

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 3, 2019

Quinerly said Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats started recruiting him immediately after getting the job in March. The coach had spent the previous four years with Buffalo, leading the squad to a 32-4 record last season while catching the eye of the young guard.

"What they did at Buffalo is special and their offensive numbers and strategy are as good as anyone's," Quinerly said, per Daniels. "They were a top five to 10 team in every offensive category. The ball moves, they get out in transition and they created a culture where guys are super unselfish, and that's something I wanted to be a part of."

The new system could allow the guard to finally live up to his potential.

There's little question he has talent—he's an absolute flash on the court. But if he doesn't improve his defense or perimeter shooting—he shot just 33.7 percent from the field and 25 percent from three—he'll struggle to make an impact at Alabama, much as he did at Villanova.

The University of Alabama didn't waste time finding a new head basketball coach, hiring Nate Oats for the job Wednesday.

Crimson Tide athletic director Greg Byrne announced that Oats is leaving the University at Buffalo to take the head position with Alabama:

Thrilled to welcome @nate_oats to @AlabamaMBB! #RollTide pic.twitter.com/vo8YRUXPg3

— Greg Byrne (@Greg_Byrne) March 27, 2019

Buffalo athletic director Mark Alnutt announced Oats' resignation from the program in order to join Alabama:

Nate Oats is done at UB and off to become the head coach of Alabama men’s basketball. @WGRZ pic.twitter.com/KN1ubOsEvw

— Heather Prusak (@haprusak) March 27, 2019

Oats has had a meteoric rise up the college coaching ranks since being hired as an assistant at Buffalo in 2013.

Prior to serving on the Bulls' staff, Oats was a high school math teacher in Michigan who had to sell Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Capri Sun and Pop-Tarts to raise money for his school's basketball program, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.

After Bobby Hurley left Buffalo to become Arizona State's head coach in 2015, Oats was promoted to the top position. The 44-year-old went 96-43 and had three NCAA tournament appearances in four seasons with the Bulls.

Alabama parted ways with Avery Johnson on Sunday after four seasons. The Crimson Tide have made two trips to the NCAA tournament since 2006-07.

The Alabama Crimson Tide have fired Avery Johnson after a four-year run as head coach, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

This change of leadership comes after the Crimson Tide went 18-16 this past season while missing out on the NCAA tournament for the third time under Johnson. At the end of the season, the 53-year-old coach let it be known that he was hoping to return for 2019-20.

"I love being the coach here at Alabama. That's my plan," Johnson said following an upset loss to Norfolk State in the first round of the NIT on March 20. "I made that crystal clear to Greg in our meeting. And hopefully they feel the same way. But I'm committed to it. I still have time left, obviously on my contract."

However, Michael Casagrande of AL.com reported one day later that negotiations for a buyout had begun. 

Johnson was given a two-year extension that ran through 2023 back in August 2017. That contract would pay him $2.9 million annually. Casagrande noted Johnson would be owed $8 million if fired before April 15 or $6 million if the dismissal came after that date.

When Johnson's arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2015, the program was in the midst of a three-year NCAA tournament drought. The Crimson Tide hoped bringing in the former NBA coach in would make the team a perennial contender in the SEC.

Instead, it was four years of mediocrity.

Alabama went 75-62 during Johnson's tenure, winning between 18 to 20 games in each season. The team's best performance came during future NBA lottery pick Collin Sexton's lone year on campus, when it went 20-16 in 2017-18 and earned an invitation to the Big Dance. The ninth-seeded Crimson Tide squeaked past Virginia Tech in the opening round before bowing out to top-seeded Villanova, the eventual champs, in the second round.

After Sexton left for the NBA, Alabama was unable to build on its success. And ultimately, that would lead to the end of Johnson's time with the university.

Johnson previously spent approximately seven years on the sidelines in the NBA, parts of four with the Dallas Mavericks and two-plus with the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. He helped guide the Mavericks to four playoff appearances and coached the team to the NBA Finals in 2006.

He went 254-186 during his NBA coaching career.

The Alabama Crimson Tide and head basketball coach Avery Johnson are discussing a buyout of his contract, according to AL.com's Michael Casagrande.

In 2018-19, Alabama missed the NCAA tournament for the third time in four seasons under Johnson. The Crimson Tide are also a day removed from losing to the Norfolk State Spartans in overtime during the opening round of the 2019 NIT.  

Jeff Goodman of Stadium corroborated Casagrande's report and added that Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm could be on Alabama's shortlist of replacement candidates. Prohm is in his fourth year with the Cyclones, and his team has made three NCAA tournament appearances and won two Big 12 tournament titles.

While Alabama hasn't fallen too far from the level it enjoyed under Johnson's predecessor, Anthony Grant, the program hasn't taken any steps forward, either.

It averaged just under 20 wins and made one NCAA tournament appearance over Grant's six years. During Johnson's reign, the team has averaged 18.8 wins and made a trip to the Big Dance in 2018.

Following Wednesday's loss, Johnson expressed a desire to remain on the sideline for the Crimson Tide.

"I love being the coach here at Alabama," he said, per Casagrande. "That's my plan. I made that crystal clear to [athletic director Greg Byrne] in our meeting. And hopefully they feel the same way. But I'm committed to it. I still have time left, obviously on my contract."

Moving on from Johnson could be a sign of the school's ambition for the basketball team.

Last August, Alabama announced its plans to spend $600 million over 10 years to upgrade its athletic facilities—Coleman Coliseum included.

Football will always be the top priority, but that doesn't prevent the Crimson Tide from getting their basketball team back to a level at which it's consistently earning NCAA tournament berths. Alabama was a March mainstay throughout the 1980s and into the mid-1990s.

Prohm makes sense as a target for the Tide. The 44-year-old maintained a high standard with the Murray State Racers and carried the trend over to the Cyclones. He already has ties to Alabama since he graduated from the school in 1997 with a degree in education.

Collin Sexton scored 25 points and John Petty added 20 more as the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 86-83 in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

The freshman guards saved their best for the second half. Sexton scored 22 of his 25 points during that frame, while Petty posted 11 of his 20, including a clutch three-pointer that gave the Crimson Tide a 75-70 lead with 2:08 remaining.

That three ended up being a crucial bucket considering the turning point in the game's closing stretch: With the Hokies down 78-74 with 48 seconds remaining, Virginia Tech guard Justin Robinson drove into the lane and made a layup, but the official called a charge as Alabama freshman guard Herb Jones fell to the ground.

Hokies head coach Buzz Williams then received a technical foul, and Jeff Goodman of ESPN provided the reasoning:

Buzz tore up a bunch of papers and threw them on the court. https://t.co/f5Hsnh6EDZ

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 16, 2018

Whether the charge call was a good decision is up for debate. Color commentator Reggie Miller defended the call in the moment. However, others on Twitter (including Jason McIntyre of the Big Lead and Mike Waters of Syracuse.com) disagreed:

https://twitter.com/jasonrmcintyre/status/974489803860328448

Horrible charge call takes away And-1 from Virginia Tech. NCAA refs.

— Mike Waters (@MikeWatersSYR) March 16, 2018

Regardless, the play significantly changed the game, as Virginia Tech could have been down by only one following a hypothetical free-throw make (if the call was a block instead of a charge). Instead, the Crimson Tide went up five after Sexton made one of two technical free throws.

Sexton made six more shots from the charity stripe down the stretch to keep Virginia Tech at arm's length for the rest of the game. A late Hokies layup cut the lead to three, but that proved to be the last play of the game as the buzzer sounded.

Overall, this contest turned out to be an evenly matched, entertaining and high-scoring affair in which neither team ever led by more than seven points. Alabama shot 60.0 percent from the field (including 44.4 percent from deep), while the Hokies hit 55.6 percent of their field goals and half of their three-point attempts.

While both teams stayed hot from deep, the game's flashiest play was a powerful slam from senior guard Justin Bibbs early in the first half:

Look Out Below! 💥#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/8pxn7UyW4f

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2018

Bibbs ended up scoring 17 for the Hokies, while Robinson led his team with 19.

However, Alabama won thanks to Sexton and Petty, who could not be stopped down the stretch.

Sexton was shaky in the beginning, as he had committed five turnovers by the 16-minute mark of the second half, but he played a clean game in the waning minutes and dished six assists.

Petty proved to be one of the day's top performers, as noted by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports:

John Petty was one of the more impressive performers in Day One. Made six three-point shots against Virginia Tech. Intergalactic range.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 16, 2018

      

Alabama will play Villanova in the second round Saturday in what could be an entertaining game, per Goodman:

Alabama beats Virginia Tech. Jalen Brunson vs. Collin Sexton on Saturday. Should be fun.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 16, 2018

Virginia Tech finishes its season with a 21-12 record.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl's frustration with his men's basketball team's 81-63 loss to Alabama on Friday in the SEC tournament quarterfinals spilled onto the court after the game. 

Pearl and Alabama strength coach Lou DeNeen exchanged words on the court following the Crimson Tide's victory at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. 

According to ESPN, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl and Alabama's strength coach "were in each other's face" after the game pic.twitter.com/QZvmLSaJvT

— SB Nation (@SBNation) March 9, 2018

Per SEC Country's Marq Burnett, ESPN's Laura Rutledge and the network's broadcast video showed Pearl bumping into DeNeen and taking exception to the incident:

Based on an ESPN video and @LauraMRutledge, Bruce Pearl bumped into Lou DeNeen after the handshake line.

Pearl took offense because he felt DeNeen could've done more to get out of the way. Alabama has no comment at the moment.

Just guys being dudes, imo

— Marq Burnett (@Marq_Burnett) March 9, 2018

Auburn entered the SEC tournament as the No. 1 seed, and its place in the NCAA tournament is secure, even with the loss. Alabama is now 19-14 after its big win on Friday and has put itself in the mix for a spot in the field of 68. The Tide Alabama will face either Kentucky or Georgia in Saturday's semifinals at 1 p.m. ET.

The most important foundational piece to a successful NBA team is a superstar point guard, and the best way to find that guy is usually in the lottery of the draft.

The point guards who excite execs the most, or seem to have the lowest failure quotient, are those who are a blur with the basketball—pre-injury Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and John Wall types. The strategy is not always fool-proof. The jury is still out on some recent picks sold in the Rose-Westbrook-Wall mold such as Emmanuel Mudiay and De'Aaron Fox, but that type of athlete with burst is usually a good starting point for finding the closest thing to a surefire hit.

And that brings us to the next speed demon in line: Alabama's Collin Sexton.

While Oklahoma freshman Trae Young has captured the college basketball world's attention with his outlandish numbers and shot-making ability, Sexton is at the top of point guard wish lists for the 2018 draft.

He checks most of the boxes for NBA potential. He's not only fast with the basketball, but he also has a tight handle and an advanced feel in knowing how to use a ball screen and his quickness.

"I think that him and Trae Young are really separating themselves from [Duke's] Trevon Duval in terms of the top point guards in this class," an NBA scout told Bleacher Report. "There are just too many concerns with Duval's shooting, and Sexton's a two-way player. You never have to worry about him trying hard."

What could end up the best example of this and the go-to proof for teams convincing themselves to target Sexton is his performance against Minnesota in one of the most bizarre college basketball games ever.

Sexton and the Crimson Tide were forced to play four-on-five and then three-on-five for the final 11 minutes and 37 seconds after most of the roster was ejected for leaving the bench during a scuffle on the floor. During that time, Sexton scored 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting with an assist and just one turnover. He finished with 40 points on 22 shots to go with five assists. 

It was a scenario scouts would like to put any point guard prospect through. In the NBA, the players are more athletic, bigger and smarter. It's almost like playing against extra defenders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfq4ALCynd0

Sexton still found a way, using his speed to create angles and attack. He also got to his spots and nailed 3-of-5 threes off the bounce.

His jump shot, or at least its early results, put him ahead of schedule of some of his quick-twitch predecessors. He's shooting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc, although the sample size is small (only 37 attempts). He also made just 32.5 percent of his three-pointers on the Nike EYBL circuit in 2016, so his percentage could regress toward the mean, but the start is promising.

He hasn't done much in catch-and-shoot scenarios—2-of-6, according to Synergy's tracking data—but he's been excellent shooting off the bounce, knocking down 17 of 39 jumpers. That's a much more attractive skill in an NBA point guard than the ability to knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers, which is easier to develop through repetition.

Sexton's work using ball screens has also been impressive. He's scoring 1.076 points per possession, according to Synergy, which is a high mark, especially for a freshman.

Working out of pick-and-rolls is like a dance. The best guards know the steps and when to go slow or pick up the pace. It's often an adjustment in college with the number of different ways coaches will game-plan against ball screens, but Sexton usually makes the right calls: when to pass, when to split or when to reject the screen and go the other way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkBUKjrMp_s

It's difficult to simply look at numbers and project what kind of NBA player a prospect will be, but Sexton compares favorably to the elite 2016 freshman point guard class and to Rose and Wall as freshmen. It's still early, so his advanced numbers could regress, but his ability to get to the foul line should help him score consistently in college, and that's usually transferable to the NBA. (He is drawing an NCAA-best 9.3 fouls per 40 minutes, according to KenPom.com.)

	Off. rating	%Poss	Ast. Rate	TO%	FT Rate
Collin Sexton, Alabama (17-18)	120.3	32.3	24.6	13.2	76.2
Markelle Fultz, Wash. (16-17)	113.6	31.6	35.5	15.6	38.3
Lonzo Ball, UCLA (16-17)	129.5	30.1	31.4	18.9	28.6
De'Aaron Fox, UK (16-17)	110.7	27.8	28.6	15.8	47.4
Dennis Smith Jr., NC State (16-17)	109.5	28.4	34.2	19.0	47.6
John Wall, UK (09-10)	108.0	27.3	34.8	24.0	53.0
Derrick Rose, Memphis (07-08)	111.8	27.2	30.4	19.1	47.0

The one area Sexton lags behind is assist rate. He doesn't have awesome vision, but he has good court sense and is a willing passer. He usually makes the right play and doesn't try to squeeze in difficult passes, which is why his turnover rate is so low.

Sexton is also able to pass with both hands and can do so with accuracy and zip. 

On the defensive end, Sexton has his freshman moments and displays some sleepiness away from the ball. He's given up 20 unguarded jumpers, according to Synergy's tracking. But he is quick laterally and seems to take pride in getting in a stance and keeping his man in front of him. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5XvDyobejA

As Young continues to put up huge numbers and Steph Curry-like highlights, he'll make imaginations run wild and get a lot of attention. But in some conversations with NBA scouts, they seem to be trying to figure out if he'll project to be more like Curry or someone like Jimmer Fredette.

It's just easier to see what Sexton's doing and project it to the NBA game. It doesn't mean he'll end up the better pro. But he's the safer pick, and if he can sustain the consistency he's shown, he'll likely find himself in the top five of the 2018 draft.

               

The Alabama men's basketball team was forced to play with three players during a stretch of its game against Minnesota on Saturday after the entire Crimson Tide bench was ejected following a brawl.

NCAA.com's Andy Katz described the blow-by-blow from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Alabama players Donta Hall, Alex Reese, Daniel Giddens, Avery Johnson Jr. and Herbert Jones were ejected from the contest from the bench during a massive altercation as part of a chippy second half.

The ENTIRE @AlabamaMBB bench was ejected after a scuffle with @GopherMBB and eventually finished with just THREE active players. #BAMAvsMINN pic.twitter.com/GWAJUVKMqZ

— Stadium (@Stadium) November 26, 2017

The teams were engaged in verbal spats that resulted in technicals for Alabama's Collin Sexton and Minnesota's Nate Mason, the latter being tossed from the contest. A second altercation happened the following time down the floor, which is when the Alabama players left the designated bench area.

Dazon Ingram then fouled out, leaving the Tide with four players. After John Petty was injured with 10:50 to play when he landed awkwardly during a three-point attempt, a five-on-three ensued.

Sexton was the hero of a game that was far closer than anyone could have expected. The Tide guard finished with 40 points and spearheaded an effort that got Alabama within three points before it lost 89-84. Alabama actually outscored Minnesota with three players, 30-24.

"Collin Sexton could beat a whole team by himself. He's just that good," Minnesota coach Richard Pitino told reporters after the game.

Sexton, a freshman, is the first 40-point scorer for Alabama since 1978. 

The Alabama Crimson Tide picked up a key addition for their 2018 recruiting class Monday with a commitment from combo guard Jared Butler.

Butler announced his decision on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/J_Hooper11/status/920077754758025217

"I'm headed to the University of Alabama and I picked them because I talk to God a lot and my family a lot and we've spent months and days talking and it seemed like the best situation and the best people," he said of his decision, per Scout's Evan Daniels. "I love them a lot and they love me."

Butler is a 4-star prospect who rates as the No. 89 overall recruit in the 2018 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also listed as the No. 15 point guard and the third-best player from the state of Louisiana.

The Riverside Academy product is experienced running an offense, but he's also capable of playing off the ball and creating offense as a shooting guard. He's a bit undersized for the position at 6'2", though he's a rock-solid 180 pounds with the ability to add more weight to his frame.

His most impressive trait at this stage of his development is the myriad ways he can generate open looks for both himself and his teammates. He attacks the rim, can distribute the ball out of traffic and has improved his jumper to stretch defenses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9hOOryHmvY

Eric Bossi of Rivals passed along comments from Butler about his playing style.

"I feel like I'm a scoring guard for sure," he said in May. "I'm a big guard but I can also facilitate. If I'm not the best scorer I'm going to make sure that the best scorer is getting the ball in his hands."

He needs to work on his quickness and footwork, which will help make him a better on-ball defender, and he could still use a more consistent outside game to become a more lethal scoring weapon. But there's still a lot more upside than downside to this signing.

Although it's going to take some time to see where Butler fits in with the Crimson Tide, his ideal role could be the first guard off the bench. He'll bring a lot of energy and serve as an offensive spark plug, which is exactly what head coach Avery Johnson could use in that spot.

It would take a significant leap in his all-around ability for him to become a one-and-done asset, so Alabama should benefit from getting at least two years from him. The longer he stays, the better chance he has to max out his potential.