Jahvon Quinerly needed a minute. He just wanted to take it all in.

On a bench outside of the main lobby of a Dominican Republic resort on an August night, the University of Memphis point guard looked around during an interview with a reporter. There he sat, under the cover of palm trees and a starry night sky, surrounded by a view fit for a screensaver.

Quinerly’s learned to savor moments like those. After all, just months ago he’d have never guessed he’d be there — in the Caribbean, with coach Penny Hardaway and his new Tigers teammates.

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On a path that once seemingly moved at 100 miles per hour, Quinerly has learned to slow down.

“Sometimes I just have to turn my phone off and delete these apps and just try and enjoy myself. Like where I am now — I’m in the D.R.,” he said as a smile stretched across his face. “It’s beautiful.”

Once a YouTube sensation and five-star recruit in the 2018 class, Quinerly’s college career has seen its fair share of bumps in the road.

His chance of attending his dream school got ripped away when he was implicated in the Arizona Wildcats’ corruption scandal in 2017. His reputation on the court also took a hit when he didn’t fit in well at Villanova as a freshman. And his path to the pros had to be rerouted when he tore his ACL in the NCAA Tournament with Alabama in 2022.

Nope, it’s not the one-and-done NBA Draft pick expedition the 6-foot-1 guard once envisioned for himself.

But it is one that’s now brought him to Memphis, where he’s learning to live in the moment and savor the opportunity ahead. Quinerly has a chance to end his college career with a statement year in what those around the program believe could be the Tigers’ best season in a decade.

“I’m super proud of how he’s handled himself, especially to see him now with Memphis, really in control of what his last year is gonna look like,” said Trevor Harris, Quinerly’s trainer and longtime friend. “I think that the journey has certainly been unique, but I don’t think he would trade it for anything.”

“That’s why I’m still at this thing,” Quinerly said. “I think everything’s gonna work out in the end.”

‘Wrote me off’

Harris knew that face looked familiar.

It was summer 2013 when Harris spotted Quinerly in the stands of a gymnasium at an annual basketball game between police officers and firefighters in Bergen County, New Jersey. Quinerly was a rising eighth grader, while Harris was three years removed from his time playing at NCAA Division II Southern Connecticut State.

Quinerly and Harris — both Hackensack, New Jersey, natives — had fathers who were policemen competing in that day’s game.

Harris, still trying back then to establish himself as a basketball skills trainer, remembered seeing Quinerly’s highlights on YouTube, so he introduced himself to the middle schooler and his family. Soon, Harris began working with Quinerly regularly and became a family friend.

As the duo’s relationship grew, so did Quinerly’s star.

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In 2016, Quinerly became one of the core members of Jelly Fam, a group of New York City-area youth basketball players that created and popularized the “jelly” layup. The move is executed by cocking your arm back as if to dunk before turning your wrist to sink a finger-roll layup.

The move became a movement after Jelly Fam consistently packed out high school gyms and outdoor venues, such as iconic Rucker Park in Harlem, with fans eager to see the group’s flashy style of play. At the forefront of it all was Quinerly, along with former UAB star Jordan Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid and a handful of others.

“They definitely had a huge impact on the culture,” Harris said. “Obviously, the layup itself is really cool and something that everyone was trying to mimic throughout the country and around the world. But it was just more about the energy that they were able to bring.

“Whether it be in a street ball tournament in the summer or a regular high school game, there was a lot of excitement that was based around that entire group of athletes.”

Quinerly’s platform as a social media star in the basketball world gave him plenty of exposure, and he had the talent to match the hype. He committed to Arizona — a school he’d wanted to play for since he was a child, because of the program’s history of elite point guards — in August 2017 over offers from the likes of Villanova, Virginia and Kansas.

But what was once a dream quickly turned into a nightmare.

Just a month later, a college basketball-wide FBI investigation revealed corruption within Arizona’s program and others around the country. Wildcats assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson was arrested for conspiracy to commit bribery. Quinerly was implicated in the FBI probe, which alleged that Richardson received money from an undercover FBI agent to pay Quinerly’s mother, Caren, for her son’s commitment.

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Once the news broke, Quinerly and his parents were attacked on social media. Quinerly, who was later cleared of the allegations after Richardson admitted to the FBI and NCAA that the money was never given to the family, decommitted that October.

“Having our name dragged through the mud, it was tough,” Quinerly said. “Especially for my parents. It was like their integrity was being questioned.”

Quinerly ultimately wound up at Villanova, just a little more than two hours away from his family’s New Jersey home.

As it turned out, though, playing for a storied program that was coming off a 2018 NCAA title wasn’t all that it once appeared to be.

Quinerly’s playing style made it a struggle for him to fit into coach Jay Wright’s half-court, four-out offense. It didn’t help either that he’d get jeered by opposing fans during road games for his association with Arizona’s FBI investigation.

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All of it resulted in a trying freshman season. Quinerly averaged just 3.2 points and 0.9 assists in 9.1 minutes per game and didn’t see the floor at all in Villanova’s final six games of that 2018-19 campaign. Following a December 2018 upset loss to Penn in which he played just one minute, Quinerly shared his frustrations on his Instagram story before deleting the post minutes later.

Now, it wasn’t just his character that was being questioned. It was his talent, too.

“All this hype coming out of high school and people saw that year and just wrote me off after that,” Quinerly said. “You know, ‘He’s not as good as people said he was.’”

After a season that took a toll on his mental health, Quinerly opted to transfer to Alabama. He pleaded his case for immediate eligibility to the NCAA, citing his unique set of circumstances in a waiver request.

The NCAA didn’t budge.

Quinerly was forced to sit out the 2019-20 season — and, as a result, wait for an entire year before having the opportunity to achieve redemption.

“It was real difficult,” Harris said. “He has a great support system around him, but, obviously, it’s his name in the press and it’s him that has to deal with these changes firsthand.”

‘Leaving it all out there’

When Quinerly finally could play, though, he displayed everything that made him a highly coveted recruit to begin with.

It helped that Harris frequently checked up on Quinerly over the phone and would occasionally visit Tuscaloosa to train him.

On the court the two focused on footwork, shooting and overall offensive efficiency. Off the court Harris placed an emphasis on empowering Quinerly to effectively manage his thoughts and emotions in order to be in the best headspace possible.

“Jahvon is a confident guy,” Harris said. “Obviously, it’s hard to deal with the things he’s dealt with, but he’s never lost that confidence or that belief in himself. And I think that’s why he’s been able to be successful in every environment he’s been in thus far.”

Quinerly had a near-immediate impact on Alabama’s success. He played a key role in revitalizing a program that had made the NCAA Tournament just twice in the 10 years before his arrival.

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In his first season on the court in 2020-21, Quinerly was second on the team in points (12.9) and assists (3.2) per game as the Crimson Tide won more than 25 games for the first time since 2001-02.

The former McDonald’s All-American played his best in big moments, too.

A three-game stretch in which Quinerly averaged 15.7 points and 3.0 assists and shot 46.2% from deep allowed Alabama to capture its first SEC Tournament title since 1991. Quinerly was named 2021 SEC Tournament MVP.

Days later, he led the Crimson Tide to its first Sweet 16 since 2004 and ninth ever.

In his second year suiting up for Alabama, Quinerly was a consistent starter. He was again the team’s second-leading scorer with 13.8 points per game and second-leading facilitator with 4.2 assists per game.

Though the Crimson Tide ended the 2021-22 regular season with a 19-13 record and as an unranked team, Quinerly had individual success. So much so that he planned to declare for the NBA Draft that spring.

“I just felt like I was ready,” said Quinerly, whom some projected to be a second-round NBA Draft pick at the time. “I just felt like I had done my time in college. And that was gonna be it for me.”

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When it was time for Alabama to take on Notre Dame in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Quinerly was confident he was embarking on his final stretch of games as a college player. He wanted to make the most of his last opportunity to boost his draft stock before launching a pro career.

Then, things again took an unexpected turn.

Only three minutes into the contest versus the Fighting Irish, Quinerly caught the ball on the wing and attempted to blow by a defender when his left leg buckled. He hit the ground while grabbing his knee in pain and had to be helped off the floor.

What it immediately appeared to be was later confirmed: Quinerly had torn his ACL.

“Going into that last game, I said, ‘Win or lose, this is it for me,’” Quinerly said. “I was leaving it all out there. And then I tore it. And it was just tough because I had to rehab and get back. And I just couldn’t go pro on a torn ACL. I didn’t believe in that; I didn’t see that vision at all.

“So I was like, ‘I’m definitely gonna come back to school and get healthy.’”

But the journey back to full health was more challenging than he first expected.

Quinerly initially needed help completing routine life tasks — everything from taking a shower to getting in and out of his car. His mother, Caren, came down from New Jersey to Alabama to live with him for a few weeks.

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The weight of yet another setback after all he’d already endured at the start of his college career was heavy.

Quinerly, who battled with depression, admits he thought about quitting basketball.

But those in Quinerly’s circle — like Caren and Harris — were there to provide support when he needed it most. That included tough love, too.

“He was obviously bouncing different emotions and ideas off of me, and I was giving him some organic feedback,” Harris said. “But I also didn’t sugarcoat s---.

“You know, at the end of the day, he had to make a decision. ‘Am I gonna fight through this and get back to where I wanna be and represent who I am on the court and off the court? Or do I just wanna pack it up?’”

‘His hunger and his will’

Quinerly fought.

When doubt crept into his mind on whether he’d ever fully be back to his old self again, he studied the rehabilitation processes of NBA players who’d suffered the same injury.

Players including Jamal Murray and Derrick Rose, who both missed the entire seasons that followed their ACL tear.

Quinerly returned to the court in mid-November — just eight months later.

After playing just four minutes and going scoreless against South Alabama in his first game back, Quinerly played 44 minutes in Alabama’s quadruple-overtime victory over then-No. 1 North Carolina only 12 days later. He finished with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds to help the Crimson Tide beat the nation’s top-ranked team for the first time in 18 years.

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“I think the resources that he had at his disposal definitely helped,” Harris said, “but, at the end of the day, it was just about his hunger and his will to get back to where he wanted to get to.”

That didn’t mean Quinerly’s struggles were behind him, though. He had to learn to trust that his body wouldn’t fail him, that his knee would hold up.

“When you have an injury like that, you don’t wanna do it again,” Quinerly said. “Because you know what it’s like, you know how long it took.”

So — aside from that November game against UNC — Alabama brought him along slowly. Quinerly played 20 or more minutes just three times in the first 18 games of the 2022-23 season and scored in double figures only five times in that stretch. He didn’t start a single contest until the postseason.

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Still, as the Crimson Tide put together arguably its greatest season in program history, Quinerly took pride in playing whatever role was best for the team.

“I was playing with a group of guys who just wanted to win,” he said. “And I was one of those guys who just wanted to win. So it didn’t affect my ego at all.”

And when the time came for Quinerly to step up, he was ready.

Quinerly’s minutes increased in the back half of the season. In Alabama’s final 19 games, he broke the 10-point mark 12 times and eclipsed five assists on seven occasions.

The Crimson Tide looked to Quinerly in its most consequential matchups. And he delivered.

“A part of him definitely wanted to be out there showing what he could do fresh off that injury,” Harris said. “But he also realized that it’s about the team at the end of the day. So I think he played it very smart last year. He eased his way into it. And he played at a very high level when it mattered most.”

Quinerly scored 22 points in an SEC Tournament title game win against Texas A&M in March to help Alabama take home its second conference championship in three years and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

He then tallied 22 points again six days later in a second-round victory over Maryland to allow the program to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years.

The performance against the Terrapins came on the one-year anniversary of his ACL tear.

“It’s still surreal,” Quinerly told reporters in the locker room after the game. “I’m just blessed, man.”

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Even though Alabama ultimately came up short of its goal of winning a national championship when it fell to San Diego State in the Sweet 16, Quinerly played a key part in the program reaching once unimaginable heights.

He found a bit of himself again, too.

Quinerly declared for the NBA Draft a week after the Crimson Tide’s season ended and kept his name in the pool for two months. But, eventually, he realized the timing wasn’t right.

Despite having some of the best games of his college career late last season, Quinerly — who likely would have gone undrafted or been a late-second-round pick — felt he wasn’t quite back to full form.

So he withdrew from the draft in late May and announced he’d return to Alabama.

But, soon, Quinerly took another look at his surroundings. Three of his teammates had departed for the NBA. Two others had entered the NCAA transfer portal. Three of Alabama’s assistants had also left for head coaching jobs.

Quinerly felt it was time for him to move on, too, in order to maximize his final season in college.

“I felt like I did enough there. I left my legacy there,” he said. “I needed a change. I needed to put myself in an uncomfortable situation.”

‘Bring me back to who I was’

Quinerly’s decision to play another college season is more evidence that he’s learning the value of patience.

He feels today he’s closer than he’s ever been to the player he once was. A big season for Quinerly would allow him to prove to the college basketball world the caliber of player he is and get on the radar of NBA teams.

Quinerly didn’t have a vast array of options when he entered the portal in late June. Most coaches around the country had already finished constructing their rosters.

Still, Memphis, Kansas State, Seton Hall and Miami were among a group that reached out.

The Tigers stood out immediately.

Quinerly was enticed by the creative freedom he believes he can have in Hardaway’s offense.

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“Coach Penny’s gonna let you score any way you want,” said Quinerly. “Just put the ball in the basket, it don’t matter. And I feel like I needed that freedom. I feel like that’s gonna kinda bring me back to who I was before the injury. I really do.”

At Memphis, Quinerly also saw the chance to join a veteran team with the talent to make a deep NCAA Tournament run. He committed to the program in mid-July.

Hardaway is grateful he was able to add Quinerly to a roster that features seven other scholarship transfers. Though the Tigers have brought in four players who were double-digit scorers at their previous Division I stops, Quinerly’s role is perhaps most significant. He’ll be tasked with being the conductor of the offense and the on-court and locker room leader.

“We’ve got a lot of alpha dogs, but he’s the leader,” Hardaway said of his new point guard. “He’s a guy that’s gonna go out there and do whatever it takes for us to win.”

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Quinerly, who says one of his goals for the season is to lead the country in assists, has been looking forward to the challenge from the minute he officially arrived in Memphis.

So, as he sat there on that August night in the Dominican Republic and spoke about the opportunity that lies ahead, the excitement in his voice was clear.

Quinerly knew then that he’s right where he’s meant to be.

“Being the head of the snake, I’m gonna make sure that guys are locked in,” he said with a smile.

“I see the vision, man.”