By R.L. Bynum
One of North Carolina’s first transfer-portal swings under Coach Michael Malone has taken aim at a shot-blocker with SEC production who already knows a familiar face in Carolina blue.
Multiple reports have indicated that UNC has been in contact with Alabama sophomore center Aiden Sherrell, a 6–11 big man who emerged as one of the league’s most disruptive interior defenders while averaging 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
Sherrell, who made the leap from reserve minutes to starting all 34 games last season, entered the portal on Thursday with a do-not-contact tag, which often means he likely already has a short list. He is No. 11 on On3’s ranking of players who entered the transfer portal.
In Alabama’s 117–115 double-overtime win Feb.18 over Arkansas, he posted a career-high 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, a performance that underlined how much his offensive game has caught up to his defensive impact. As you can see in the highlights below, he also has perimeter range, with 27 3-pointers and a 33.8% 3-point percentage.
“His impact as a roller, finishing at the rim, making free throws and getting offensive rebounds was big,” said Alabama coach Nate Oats, highlighting his effectiveness on pick-and-rolls in that game.
For North Carolina, the fit is obvious. Malone’s roster rebuild is underway after seven players entered the portal, although most left open the chance that they could return.
Sherrell, a former McDonald’s All-American, checks a box UNC badly needs in the immediate term: a proven college shot blocker who can play starter minutes and anchor the paint. He has 14 career games with at least three blocks, seven with at least four and two eight-block games.
He also comes with a built-in connection to Chapel Hill, as a teammate at Alabama in 2024–25 with current UNC forward Jarin Stevenson.
He could either take over for Henri Veesaar inside if the junior enters the NBA draft or could form a solid double-post combination if the Estonian center returns.
After Alabama’s season ended, he sounds like a player ready to work hard in the offseason.
“Just going to get better, for sure,” Sherrell said. “I got a lot to get better at trying to be a bigger piece on this team. Just going to get in that lab and get better.”
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Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and the seven players who entered the transfer portal return, which would put UNC two under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 star | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 4 star | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — W | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — Y | G | 6–5 | 196 | |
| Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 | |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
W — Northwestern transfer. X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who left for the transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Key offseason dates
Wednesday (11:59 p.m.) — NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline
June 13 — Deadline for international players to withdraw from NBA draft and maintain college eligibility
June 23–24 — NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Nonconference schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski or Rocco Miller)
(11 of 14 games)
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Nov. 27 — vs. West Virginia at the Dick Vitale Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center
Dec. 1 or 2 — vs. SEC team in ACC/SEC Challenge (announced last year on June 12)
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, 2:30 p.m.
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
November or December — vs. Butler
Photo bia rolltide.com
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