Why On3 is Higher than the Industry on Four-Star Alabama Signee Aiden Sherrell

Alabama signee Aiden Sherrell is an interesting prospect. Here at On3, we are higher than the industry on the 6-foot-11, 220-pound center at Napa (CA) Prolific Prep, ranking him as the No. 14 overall player in the 2024 On3 150. 

On3 leaves nothing to question when we talk about the objective of our rankings. The goal of our rankings is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifested by the NBA Draft. Our ranking is not to assess who had the best high school career or who will be the best college player. This is why we will shoot to end each cycle with 14 five-star prospects following the lead of the NBA Draft Lottery. This can be different from others, but our vision with rankings is draft night.

On3 has Sherrell ranked as a five-star, and No. 14 in the class. 247 has him as a four-star and No. 32, Rivals a five-star and No. 18, and ESPN a four-star and No. 21. Criteria can be different across the industry when it comes to players and the order they are ranked. So let’s break down why On3 is higher on Aidan Sherrell than the industry is with him.

Sherrell has an intriguing mix of size and athleticism

A lot of the intrigue with Aiden Sherrell comes from the combination of his size and fluidity. Standing at 6-foot-11, Sherrell has length, carrying a plus wingspan and he has a strengthening base. While he will need to continue adding weight, especially to the top half of his frame, his core and lower body have added good strength over the past 12 months. 

Sherrell has some explosive athleticism as a solid to good leaper; however, his fluidity is the athletic piece that intrigues me the most. Sherrell has loose hips that he can open up and is able to slide his feet. Looking ahead, teams will be able to utilize his mobility and run different defensive coverages with him. 

This also helps him on the offensive side of the floor. Sherrell is capable of pushing the break, showing some wiggle in the open floor. He can also attack the basket off one and two dribbles in the half-court. His mobility is interesting when matching up against other players who are similar in size to him. 

As I mentioned above, Sherrell will need to continue adding weight. This will help him when establishing position, and also when making plays in traffic. He can get knocked off his spot at this point or pushed out of his position. Continued strength in his core will help with his balance points. 

Sherrell Has Offensive Gifts

Already, Aiden Sherrell has been able to show a lot of offensive intrigue with his game. The 6-foot-11 post player is comfortable away from the paint and also playing with his back to the basket. 

It starts with his touch. Sherrell has a soft touch at each level of the floor. He has a high release point on his shots and the release mechanics are consistent. Sherrell is capable of stepping out and knocking down a three. He will need to continue working here, mainly with his balance points throughout his load and shot. 

Furthering that thought, when his feet are set, Sherrell is a pick-and-pop threat with range that extends beyond the three-point arc. At this point, he has to be deliberate with his shot from the range though, as his form can be knocked off balance (from three) as he starts to move around. At this point, Sherrell is much more consistent with the 18-foot jumper. 

Looking through his numbers, Sherrell shot 74.7 percent from the free-throw line during Nike’s EYBL Circuit play. Watching him in different settings and having the confidence to step out and take the three, these free-throw numbers further show his shooting touch. 

Sherrell is also capable of scoring on the block. He has a go-to move with his back to the basket that will typically have him shooting over his left shoulder. Sherrell will need to continue honing his counters off of this go-to move. But he, again, has touch with the ability to finish over both shoulders. He will need to continue adding weight, which will help him establish – and keep – a deeper position on the block. 

Sherrell is also a capable scorer off of movement, whether it is as the roll man, a dive man, or with duck-ins and backdoor cuts. He moves balanced and has the touch to finish in traffic either with a floater or a dunk. 

He is a capable ball-hander who can attack matchups off the bounce. Sherrell can catch a pass at multiple levels in the half-court, put it on the floor, and create an advantage off the bounce while finishing with both hands. He is also a candidate to push the break off the defensive boards and get his team into sets. 

Given Sherrell’s natural size and length, with his athletic fluidity and touch, he has a high offensive ceiling and there are multiple outcomes for Sherrell on the offensive end of the floor. 

The Production is There

Over the past 12 months, Aiden Sherrell has played competitively at high levels of basketball. Last high school season he played with Phoenix (AZ) Hillcrest Prep on the Overtime Elite Circuit. He played against players like Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Tyler Smith, Jayden Quaintance, and others. Sherrell averaged 17.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. Sherrell also shot 31.5 percent on 4.6 attempts from three. 

Playing on Nike’s EYBL Circuit this summer, Sherrell was the starting center for the Vegas Elite program that made it to the Peach Jam Championship game. The 6-foot-11 Sherrell scored 12.5 points on 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 74.7 percent from the free throw line. Per Synergy, he scored 1.024 points per possession throughout Circuit play.

On Defense…

I touched on his defense a bit above, but I wanted to take a bit more of a dive into it. Aiden Sherrell has natural length and mobility. He also carries good explosion for a young player, at his size. He, however, is not a natural rim protector. 

Sherrell will get his share of blocked shots, just being as big and lengthy as he is, and being involved in the play. This might be something that continues to grow for him as he gets stronger in the core. At this point, I would say he is more of a paint protector than a shot blocker. 

With that said, he has shown that he is capable of moving around in the paint area. He can open and slide well, and as he continues to learn angles and rotations, he should become more comfortable switching, rotating, and walling up. 

All-in-all, the defensive side of the ball is where Sherrell will need to continue paying attention. There are lapses and inconsistencies in his effort and his positioning. Very few high school players enter college defensive-ready, so this is something that could continue to develop for him as he continues forward in his natural maturity. 

Looking through Synergy, the analytics support the eye test. Sherrell held his primary cover to 0.753 points per possession during Nike EYBL Circuit play, which is graded as ‘Good” in the Synergy database. His primary cover shot only 30.9 percent from the floor when Sherrell was guarding him. He averaged 1.1 blocked shots during the Circuit’s regular season play. 

While his production suggests he is a good (solid) defender, I like his natural tools, which leads to intrigue with Sherrell’s growth and defensive upside.

Projecting Sherrell Moving Forward

Looking through Aiden Sherrell’s game, there are clearly multiple outcomes for his exact player archetype. However, at this point, we see a lengthy 6-foot-11 player who has athletic fluidity and touch. 

Even as he is still figuring out his frame and his game, and he is adding strength, Sherrell is producing at a high level. Looking toward the highest levels of basketball, there is a lot of value in big men who are able to handle and shoot. Players who can create an advantage and/or create space for his team. 

While he will still need to add weight and strength, the thought is that will help his balance and core strength. With that, you also see upside on the defensive end, with this size and natural ability to move. 

While play-making wings/forwards might be the most important position in the NBA, bigs who can play in the league could be the most unique. To have a person who has the adequate size is already rare. Then for that player to also have the combination of hand-eye coordination, athletic mobility, and strength/touch is like finding a diamond in the rough.

Sherrell has a lot of intriguing tools.