Alabama coach Nate Oats has clarified an apparent slight towards former guard Jahvon Quinerly while speaking at SEC Media Day. Bragging about new point guard Aaron Estrada, Oats said the Crimson Tide are better as a team "when you don't have to beg your point guard to bring effort every day."
The comment was seen as a jab to Quinerly, who transferred to Memphis, but Oats told the Tuscaloosa News he has "All love for JQ." Rather, Oats intended to pump up Estrada, a possible transfer portal standout from Hofstra.
"Was just trying to pump up our PG this year and how good he's been," Oats said. "We had a great run with JQ. We were the No. 1 team in the country with him. He helped raise our program to unprecedented heights here."
Quinerly spent four years at Alabama after initially signing with Villanova as a five-star recruit. In three full seasons, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 assists and shot 34.7% from 3-point range. He was a part of 76 wins and two Sweet 16 appearances. It's hard to argue with the results of Quinerly as the primary point guard. Though it's nearly as difficult to construe Oats' comments as anything other than a veiled shot at an outgoing star, Oats clearly has taken a liking to Estrada.
"He's assimilated great," Oats said at the SEC Media Day. "He's an unbelievable kid. Great leader. Plays hard. One of the hardest working guys I've ever been around. ... Last week, he had one day he went 10 of 15 from 3 one day. He's not going to do that every day. But he is going to play hard and he's going to bring everything he's got every day. I think that makes us a lot better as a team when you don't have to beg your point guard to bring effort every day, between him and Sears … Wrightsell too. I think all three of those guys are every day guys who just bring it every day."
