Alabama Basketball Newcomer Breakdown: Aiden Sherrell

This is the sixth in an 8-part series where BamaCentral’s Blake Byler will break down the numbers and the film to give you everything you need to know about each of Alabama basketball’s 2024-25 newcomers. 

While he’s not the highest-rated player in Alabama basketball’s No. 2-ranked 2024 recruiting class, Aiden Sherrell may be one of the most seamless fits Nate Oats has ever recruited into his system.

Sherrell, a 5-star center from Detroit, Michigan, possesses a unique combination of size, length, versatility and shooting that gives him some of the highest potential of any player on the Alabama roster.

Sherrell played high school basketball this past season at Prolific Prep in California where he was teammates with fellow 5-star freshman Derrion Reid. Like Reid, Sherrell was also named a McDonald’s All-American as one of the best players in the 2024 high school class.

According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Sherrell is the No. 23 overall player in the 2024 class. 247 also ranks him as the No. 6 high school recruit to ever commit to Alabama, and the top commit in Alabama history that’s 6-foot-10 or taller.

Sherrell has excellent length at 6-foot-10, with long, rangy arms to go with his height. Players with his build are typically skinny, but Sherrell has a muscular build and has increased his weight up to 240 pounds since joining the Crimson Tide at the beginning of the summer.

To go along with his size, he’s an explosive and fluid athlete. He has good leaping ability, being able to play above the rim on both ends of the floor, and can run the floor with ease as well.

But where Sherrell really sets himself apart is his shooting ability. He’s got an incredibly smooth outside shot, which allows him to stretch the floor and bring opposing big men out to the 3-point line who have to respect him as a threat from deep. During the 2023 EYBL season, Sherrell shot over 44 percent from three while scoring 13.5 points and grabbing 5.2 rebounds per game.

To get a feel and a visual for how Sherrell will be able to impact Alabama in his freshman year, let’s take a look at some film from his last season in the EYBL playing against some of the other top high school talent.

Sherrell’s shooting is perhaps the most unique part of his offensive game. In the first clip, he trails the ball handler and settles in for a spot-up jumper at the top of the arc. There’s no defense on his face, so you can see the good rhythm and mechanics of his jumper.

In the second clip, Sherrell comes from underneath the basket and runs the baseline off a screen to the right corner. Despite the movement at his size, he’s able to re-square himself to the basket for another smooth catch-and-shoot.

Sherrell is likely to play the ‘5’ in Alabama’s system as a freshman due to the remaining personnel in the frontcourt, and his ability to stretch the floor will provide fantastic spacing in 5-out sets as defenses have to respect his 3-point shot.

When you think of the ideal Nate Oats big man, one that can stretch the floor on the offensive end comes to mind, and that’s exactly what Sherrell is able to do. Now, there’s no guarantee he’s going to shoot 40 percent from three in his first year in college, but if he’s able to shoot at a clip in the upper-30s, he’ll help open up tons of space for guards to get into the lane and score at the rim.

In addition to his 3-point marksmanship, Sherrell is a more than capable inside scorer both on rebounds and out of the pick-and-roll.

In both above clips, Sherrell sets and screen and rolls into the middle of the lane. In both instances, he’s able to finish inside for two, but in different ways.

The first clip shows his touch around the rim, as he gathers the pass and rises for the layup even with multiple defenders collapsing around him. The second clip shows a much more thunderous finish, exploding up off two feet to throw down a dunk over a weakside defender.

Sherrell is also a lob threat, with excellent above-the-rim athleticism for his size, and soft hands that catch seemingly everything thrown to him. Combining his soft touch around the rim on layups and hook with his leaping ability makes him a dangerous inside scorer, and if he’s adjusts to the physicality of SEC basketball down low he’s going to be able to score effectively off dump-offs and lobs from Alabama guards.

Lastly on the offensive end, Alabama bigs need to be able to run the floor because of the pace the Crimson Tide loves to play with. If big men run the floor properly in transition, it could be good for a free 4-6 points per game just off hustle down the floor alone.

In the first clip, Sherrell makes it down to the block and is thrown a difficult pass, but he once again shows off his soft hands and comes down with the pass with traffic around him. After he gathers himself, he shakes off contact and is able to finish the layup over multiple defenders.

The second clip shows a more delayed rim run in transition, and once he receives the pass he again shows off his leaping ability with a high-rising slam over a defender.

Sherrell has the athleticism ad fluidity to run the floor as a rim runner, but he’s also skilled enough to push the break as a ball handler if the situation provided. His versatility on the offensive end of the floor is what makes him such a unique prospect, and one that’s going to be utilized in a variety of ways in Tuscaloosa.

Sherrell also has all the tools to be a great interior defender, though he needs polishing as many young prospects do. The length and reach are obvious, as seen in the above clip where he comes over from the weak side to send back a high-arcing shot.

Where Alabama and Sherrell will both benefit greatly is Sherrell not being tasked with the majority of the defensive responsibilties with the addition of All-Big Ten shot blocker Cliff Omoruyi via the transfer portal.

It’s not ideal for any team to have to rely on a freshman for the bulk of its interior defense, and with Omoruyi’s presence Sherrell will be able to improve and adapt to high-major college basketball at his own pace, while playing a backup role and providing an spark offensively from the center position when he is in the game.

With Omoruyi and Grant Nelson, both 5th-year seniors, in the fold as the likely starters in the frontcourt, it’s hard to see Sherrell starting as a freshman. But that doesn’t mean he can’t have a huge impact with the minutes he gets, and with his versatility and potential, he could end up as one of the best bigs in the SEC as early as his sophomore year.

Check out BamaCentral’s previous newcomer breakdowns: