NEW YORK — If anything is clear through two days of the Under Armor Association stop here at Basketball City, it’s that Jahvon Quinerly and his Sports U teammates are going to draw huge crowds all spring and summer.
Quinerly is in the conversation for the best point guard in the Class of 2018 and he’s looking to cut his list in the coming weeks.
“I’ll probably cut my list pretty soon,” the Hudson Catholic floor general said Saturday. “Within the next month and a half.”
He remains uncertain what he’ll cut it to, but said “5-7, something like that.”
Duke, Arizona, Kansas, Villanova, Virginia, Maryland, Seton Hall, Notre Dame, Stanford and Cal are among the schools involved, and all but Duke have offered.
Villanova’s Jay Wright, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, Maryland’s Mark Turgeon, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey and Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard are among the head coaches to see him this weekend, while Duke’s Nate James, Arizona’s Book Richardson, Kansas’ Norm Roberts, and Cal’s Tim O’Toole are among the assistants.
As for Duke, “They’re trying to evaluate me this first session, just see how I’m playing, get to know me better” he said. “[An offer] would mean a lot. I grew up looking up to Kyrie [Irving] so knowing that I could follow in his footsteps that would be amazing.”
Villanova is also heavily involved.
“[Wright] called me before the game [Friday],” Quinerly said. “He called me and told me that he’s front and center, showing that I’m a priority for him.”
Kansas’ Roberts sat courtside Saturday and loves Quinerly.
“The head coach [Bill Self] is going to check me out in Indiana,” he said. “But Roberts told me to keep playing, he loves my game. He just said he’ll be at every game watching me and Bill Self will be at the next session.”
Arizona’s Richardson also loves Quinerly’s poise and demeanor.
“I saw Book [Friday] night, we’ve been texting back and forth for a minute,” he said. “I’m supposed to be visiting soon. I’m not sure, it got rescheduled. But the same thing, they’re making me a priority. They want their point guard to be from Jersey.”
Virginia’s Bennett was courtside for two games so far.
“I love that coaching staff,” Quinerly said. “I’m close with all of them. We talk almost every other day. They play a slower style but I can also play slow. I think I’m best at a faster pace, but whatever me and my family decide is what it is.”
Seton Hall’s Willard and Shaheen Holloway were on hand Friday.
“Me and Sha are really close so we talk almost every day, if it’s not on the phone we’re texting,” he said. “It’s more than basketball with Coach Sha.”
With Cal, O’Toole has been watching him.
“He sends me a prayer every morning,” he said.
Quinerly plans to take some official visits in the fall and then decide “probably November or December.”
For now, he and his Sports U teammates want to win the 17U championship after winning titles at the 15U and 16U level. They lost to Team Rio on Friday night but bounced back with a win on Saturday over Texas Hard Work.
“It’s big, we would be the first AAU team to ever accomplish something like that,” he said. “We would go down as legends. That’s the main goal, that’s all I care about.”
Quinerly said he considered leaving Sports U and the Under Armor circuit for the Nike EYBL circuit like former teammate Louis King did with Team Final, but he opted to stay loyal.
“It was definitely a consideration but me and my family sat down and staying loyal was a big factor for us,” he said, “so we just came up with the decision to stay and we’re just rocking with the UA circuit.”
