Five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly still wants to be a Wildcat.
Nearly four months after decommitting from Arizona, the Hackensack, N.J., product pledged his allegiance to Villanova and coach Jay Wright early Wednesday over in-state Seton Hall, UCLA and Stanford via a slick, well-produced social media post. Set to the chilling intro of Mobb Deep's classic "Quiet Storm," the 6-0, 170-pounder let his nearly 250,000 Instagram followers know, "I will be attending Villanova University."
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But the reality is, Quinerly, ranked fifth at his position nationally and 21st overall by 247 Sports, may never set foot on the court at The Pavilion, because his college eligibility remains a point of contention. Once a part of an Arizona 2018 class that was rated No. 2 in the country, Quinerly reopened his recruitment in the aftermath of the federal investigation of alleged corruption on the summer travel ball circuit that led to the arrest and firing of former Arizona assistant Emmanuel "Book" Richardson, who recruited Quinerly to Tuscon.
Quinerly wasn't named in the FBI's report, but Richardson is accused of paying a $15,000 bribe to an Arizona recruit who committed in early August. Quinerly originally announced he'd attend the Pac 12 power on Aug. 9. Brian Bowen, another former five-star recruit in the Class of 2017, was set to play at Louisville this season but was not cleared to do so after being implicated in the investigation. He has since transferred to South Carolina, where he won't be eligible to suit up until the second semester next season.
Quinerly, a McDonald's All-American out of Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) is one of the most popular and electrifying players in the country. Affiliated with the hoops collective "Jelly Fam," a Northeast contingent of high school and college players known for their fancy finishes at the rim, he's averaging 19.4 points and 5.6 points per game as as senior, according to Max Preps.