Look for Jones and Quinerly to return against Arkansas...

     Hey, we all know Herb Jones. He's a warrior. Jones is the heart and soul of the Crimson Tide Basketball team. "We dodged a bullet" is how Coach Nat Oats addressed the media regarding Jone's dislocated finger. Oats went on to say that Jahvon Quinerly has practiced some and could be available for Saturday's game with Arkansas. 

OATS SAYS HERB WAS LUCKY...

     Oats continued to say that Herb's finger was very swollen, but the injury was not as bad as originally thought.  Both will likely play. Let's keep in mind that Alabama whipped the Kentucky Wildcats without Jones for the last 30 minutes and Jahvon at home. The Tide beat Kentucky on their home floor by 20, and it could have been worse. 

   

 Last season, Jones played with a cast on his broken left wrist. Herb pulled down 17 rebounds against LSU and shot his free throws right-handed. I talked with an orthopedic physician, and he said the swelling takes around 7 to 10 days to return to normal, but given the correct safeguards, a person could play. Depending on the exact injury, a splint could be used, or taping the adjacent finger with the injured finger is possible. Jones will play. This would be a boost for Alabama's undefeated SEC season.

JAHVON QUINERLY WILL GET SOME MINUTES

     Alabama hasn't released the exact cause of Jahvon Quinerly's absence.  At first, speculation was that contract tracing benched the point guard. I'm sure at some point we'll learn what the problem was. He has now missed three games, each of which the Tide won. With Herb's injury, Alabam will need as many minutes as possible from the former Parade High School All-American.

ARKANSAS ALSO HAS SOME PROBLEMS

     It's not just the Tide that is hurting right now. The Hogs have lost three of their last four games. Three injuries to Razorback players have contributed to their slump. Indiana grad transfer Justin Smith, 6-7 forward, had ankle surgery and is out for a minimum of three weeks. He weighs in at 230. He was averaging 11.6 ppg and 7 boards per game. 

      Freshman point-guard KK Robinson is out for the season. He's the backup for the point. 

     Arkansas rebounded to losses to Missouri and Tennessee with a 99-69 win over Georgia. Moses Moody and Devonte Davis combined for 45 points in that win. Arkansas is now 10-3 for the season and is 2-3 in the SEC.  Bama is a five-point favorite.  

UPDATE: Quinerly will play according to two sources.  Limited minutes expected.