The Shark is looking to land a 5 man to anchor his frontcourt, and Sherrell has made the short list on players Hodgson is pursuing for the 2026-2027 Friars. Sherrell played his first two seasons for Hodgson’s mentor in Nate Oats. The 6’10, 250lb big only played 9 minutes/game his freshman year, but exploded onto the scene as a sophomore.
We break down his game below.
Game Overview
He started all 34 games for the Crimson Tide this past season, averaging 11 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks in just under an average of 24 minutes of game time. In his two years in college, he is hovering right around being a 34% three point shooter, and the number of 3’s for a big of his size isn’t a small sample size in 122 attempts over two years. From the floor, he’s an efficient 53%.
High School Profile
Coming out of high school, Sherrell was as blue chip of a recruit as you could imagine. He was ranked as a 5 star by 247 composite, the #23rd overall player in his class, and #5 Center. The centers ranked above him: Khaman Maluach (now in the pros), Jayden Quaintance of Kentucky, Derik Queen (now in the pros), and coveted portal big Flory Bidunga. For reference, Oswin was the 17th overall center in this class.
Player Comp
He reminds me a bit of Naz Reid when watching him. Sherrell doesn’t have crazy athleticism like a Somto Cyril, but has a really solid frame that could turn him into a match-up nightmare if he takes his strength and conditioning to the next level. He also has a smooth stroke for a big man from deep, although the release is a bit elongated like Reid’s. That’s okay though when you are 6’10+ bombing it with consistency from three.
Analyzing His Game
Despite not being a freak athlete at the 5 like Cyril, he has strong defensive instincts, exemplified by being the co-leader in blocks in the SEC alongside Somto at 2.2 blocks/game. This was good for 14th nationally. His help side defense will catch offensive players by surprise, and from what I’ve seen he does a nice job of not leaving his feet prematurely to block shots.
There are some questions about his lateral quickness and general athleticism on both ends, and I see those concerns, but I think that could be a by-product of still getting his body into a finished product via a college weight room. Not everybody is going to come into college ready to go from the onset and needs time to grow into their frame. It’s a process, and I think the best is yet to come physically for Sherrell as he matures.
From what I’ve seen, his frame doesn’t match his play-style quite yet, in that he should be working the low post to try to body his defender with his size. I’m not sure if that’s a byproduct of the Oats system that asks his bigs to pick and roll or pick and pop, but I’d be curious to see if he can develop a more half court back to the basket game. He has the size for it.
One thing that caught my eye is he seems to do a really nice job of securing the ball in traffic either on put backs or gathering a rebound. He has “soft hands” for a big man, and I think that will be a welcome trait for Friar fans who have grown accustomed to the opposite.
Recruitment Overview
One would think that his hometown state schools in Michigan and Michigan State would be the leader in this recruitment, but Coach Hodgson had dinner with Sherrell last night, and he has shown thus far to live up to his reputation as an ace recruiter.
Michigan also landed a 4/5 in JP Estrella, but I doubt that’d sway them from also taking Sherrell. If I’m Sherrell, I’m waiting to see what the rest of Michigan’s roster does.
Fit With Friars
For Hodgson, similar to Oats, he’d be a rim running big that can also step out and knock down the deep ball. We saw how much of a weapon Josh Oduro was when he could drag his defender out of the paint, and I believe Sherrell has the shooting ability to do the same. That was part of Oswin’s issue. He never developed any semblance of a perimeter shot, so he was actually a real easy guard.
I have to be honest though, guys. I can’t for the life of me understand why he is 1. Transferring from Alabama 2. Considering Providence under Hodgson. Normally, when a player enters the portal, it is due to playing time or unhappiness in the system. Sherrell played 25 minutes and started every game and was primed to play more this year, so that cannot be it.
Regarding play style, if he didn’t like the Oats system, I don’t know why he would consider a protege of Nate’s in Hodgson who would presumably use him similarly. That leads me to my final reason: an increased pay day that Alabama may not have been willing to match. You have to remember that despite all the success Oats has had at Alabama, football is still king there, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Providence can offer a much more lucrative NIL contract than Alabama can. These are the waters we are swimming in.
Summary
Providence needs size in the frontcourt and Sherrell would provide it at 6’11, 255 pounds. The acclimation period would be minimal due to the similarities between Hodgson and Oats. If Providence were to fight off some blue bloods and land him, you can pencil Sherrell in as your starting 5. That’s all to say that this recruitment is far from over, as he still has a few remote and in person meetings with other schools.
If Hodgson does land the Bama big, he presumably has 4 starting spots locked down and can target his efforts on landing a lead guard for Byrd, Pate, Mela, and Sherrell. Good things are happening in Friartown.
Keep following The Providence Crier for updates on all things roster building and the portal. Go Friars!