Despite spending two incredible years with the Alabama Crimson Tide and becoming a starter for head coach Nate Oats during his sophomore season, forward Aiden Sherrell entered the transfer portal when it opened earlier this week.
Now, Sherrell has become a hot commodity in the portal, and already, a powerhouse program in the ACC is looking to lure him in its direction: the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The blue-blood team is now led by Michael Malone, the former Denver Nuggets head coach, taking over after UNC parted ways with former HC Hubert Davis. Malone and his staff have expressed adamant interest in Sherrell, and it's reportedly reciprocated.
247Sports' Tar Heel expert Andrew Jones shared that Carolina and Sherrell had exchanged "more than an introductory 'hello'" even after it became known that the former Alabama player had entered the portal with a "Do Not Contact" tag.
Michael Malone, Tar Heels eying Aiden Sherrell
During his sophomore season with the Tide, Sherell averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.1 assists, and 0.6 steals, nearly tripling every single stat from his first year of collegiate basketball.
Despite his success and growth under Oats, Sherrell entered the portal and has received interest from teams like the Tar Heels, the Michigan State Spartans, and more.
NEWS: Alabama big man Aiden Sherrell plans to enter the @TransferPortal, source told @On3.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 6, 2026
The 6-10 sophomore from Detroit, Michigan averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Former McDonald's All-American. https://t.co/8Dw1TaGYtx pic.twitter.com/lfaN4fphVh
Sherrell is one of three Alabama players who have hit the portal, joined by 6-foot-10 power forward Taylor Bol Bowen and 6-foot-5 shooting guard Jalil Bethea. While Sherrell and Bowen are impressively rated as four-star transfer prospects, Beathea is the only former Tide player who received a five-star rating.
Sherrell is a Detroit, MI native, giving a lot of people confidence that he would commit to the Spartans out of the portal. However, with reports coming out of Chapel Hill that UNC is extremely interested, it's hard to imagine a young basketball player passing up on playing for the blue blood.
The transfer portal opened on Tuesday, April 7, and will remain open for 15 days, until April 21, when it closes, and players will no longer be able to enter their names.