Duke battling with UNC for 11.1 PPG Alabama transfer worth $1.8 million, per report originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Duke’s storied rivalry with North Carolina isn’t restricted to yearly on-court battles.
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The Blue Devils also compete with the Tar Heels in recruiting, and that trend will continue as long as the two ACC programs exist. According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Duke is battling UNC for an 11.1 points-per-game Alabama transfer who’s worth $1.8 million (per On3’s NIL valuation system).
“On3 reported Alabama big man Aiden Sherrell was planning to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal on Monday,” Tipton reported Friday. “On Thursday evening, he officially entered. The 6-foot-10 sophomore had a breakout season for the Tide, averaging 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.”
“He saw a major increase in both role and production from his freshman year, when he averaged just 3.4 points and 2.8 rebounds. April 10th, 8:00 AM Update:According to a source close to the situation, Baylor’s Scott Drew will make a trip to see Sherrell around noon today, and Providence’s Bryan Hodgson is expected to have dinner with him tonight.”
“Sherrell has also completed Zooms with Arkansas and Indiana. He’s had a call with North Carolina head coach Mike Malone, and Duke is expected to make a trip to see him Saturday afternoon/evening.”
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With Duke preparing to lose star forward Cameron Boozer to the NBA Draft, replacing the future top-5 pick appears to be a top priority for the program.
Sherell would be a high-impact addition for Jon Scheyer’s crew after a gut-wrenching Elite 8 loss to UConn, as the former McDonald’s All-American is an evolving lob threat in the pick-and-roll, can cleanly secure dump-off passes before finishing around the rim, and protect the rim while only committing 2.1 fouls per contest.
Landing Sherell won’t be easy, but it seems like the Blue Devils are up to the task.
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