Darian DeVries and the Indiana Hoosiers have hit the transfer portal at a full sprint — and it’s working. The Hoosiers have put together a six-man class that is widely considered one of the best in the country. But if you ask us, the centerpiece of the entire haul is Aiden Sherrell, the 6’11 big from Alabama who may just be the ideal college big man in the country right now.
That’s a bold claim — and we mean it. After breaking down his game film from last season, it’s hard to walk away without thinking Indiana just landed the most complete big man in the transfer portal. Here’s a full breakdown of why.
Pick-and-Roll Mastery: 97th Percentile in Screen Volume
Let’s start with the foundation of Sherrell’s offensive game: the pick and roll. In a modern college basketball landscape where willing screeners are increasingly rare, Sherrell stood out — ranking in the 97th percentile in screen volume last season. Very few bigs in the country set more screens than he did.
But volume alone doesn’t tell the story. Sherrell’s real value comes from what happens after the screen — because he can both roll and pop at an elite level.
As a roller, two traits make him special: elite hands that consistently secure anything thrown his direction, and touch and strength over pure athleticism. He doesn’t need a wide-open lob to score. He absorbs contact, goes through defenders, and draws and-one opportunities at a high rate.
When he pops to the perimeter, opposing bigs face an impossible decision: dig in to stop penetration and he’ll pop open for a jump shot, or play him tight and he’s rolling to the basket. It’s a built-in advantage on every single pick-and-roll action — and it’s the kind of thing you design an offense around.
Floor Spacing: A Legit Perimeter Threat at 6’11”
Last season, Sherrell shot 35% from three on 78 attempts — roughly two per game. For a big man, that’s legitimate volume and legitimate efficiency. But the shooting percentage barely scratches the surface of what his range does for Indiana’s offense.
His form is consistent and repeatable, and he moves well without the ball — sliding in relation to the ball handler, evacuating the post to the corner at the right moments. These are high-level concepts that many bigs never fully develop. For Sherrell, they come naturally, and the result is wide-open looks on a consistent basis.
The downstream effect is just as valuable: the mere threat of Sherrell on the perimeter keeps the floor spaced for Indiana’s guards. Indiana has brought in high-level perimeter talent to surround him — and they’re going to benefit from the room he creates every time he steps out beyond the arc.
The Grit Factor: 71 Offensive Rebounds Last Season
71 offensive rebounds in a single season is a number that demands attention. But more than the total, it’s what those boards tell you about Sherrell as a player and a competitor.
He’s a worker who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty — and offensive rebounding is one of the best indicators of that. His physical build and exceptional hand strength allow him to use his body to create position, get a hand on the ball, and convert. He keeps the ball high, goes back up through contact, and consistently turns second-chance opportunities into points or free throws.
For a Hoosier fanbase that values toughness and grit, this is going to resonate immediately.
Defense: A Cornerstone You Can Build Around
Here’s where Sherrell truly separates himself. In college basketball, the default expectation for bigs is a tradeoff: elite offense or elite defense. Almost no one gives you both at a high level. Sherrell is a genuine exception.
Last season he posted 76 blocks on an 8.5% block rate — and he did it without relying primarily on elite leaping ability. His shot-blocking is built on positioning. He finds his spot, walls up, and absorbs contact that most bigs simply can’t handle. Time and again on film you see opposing bigs lower a shoulder expecting to bully through — and Sherrell doesn’t move. Guards can funnel drivers directly to him all night and he’ll either get a clean block or a strong enough contest to force a miss.
That’s the kind of anchor a Big Ten team needs in the paint — especially one facing a brutal schedule against physical, well-coached programs. It’s also probably the main reason Indiana had to invest as heavily as they did to land him.
The Big Picture: Indiana’s Portal Plan Is Coming Together
Sherrell doesn’t exist in a vacuum. He’s the centerpiece of a class DeVries has built with clear intentionality. Add Burton out of Notre Dame — a guard who fits seamlessly alongside Sherrell in the two-man game — and the big from SMU who gives Indiana a legitimate second frontcourt option, and you start to see a roster with real beef up front for a schedule that will demand it.
There are bigs who are flashier on defense. There are bigs who are more explosive on offense. But the combination of pick-and-roll skill, floor spacing, offensive rebounding, rim protection, and motor that Sherrell brings is genuinely rare. He’s our favorite big man in all of college basketball right now — and we think Indiana fans are going to feel the same way very quickly.
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