Alabama basketball adds Aaron Estrada from NCAA transfer portal
Nate Oats netted another high-powered scorer from the transfer portal Saturday as Hofstra guard Aaron Estrada committed to Alabama over a top four that also included Cincinnati, Florida State and Kansas State. The graduate transfer spent the last two seasons at Hofstra after spending a season with Oregon and Saint Peters. He will have one year of eligibility remaining for the Crimson Tide.
Estrada earned Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year honors last season, averaging 20.2, 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 47.8% from the floor, including 36.8% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-3 combo guard is capable at finishing at all three levels and recorded a 22% assists rate. While Estra is primarily a catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the arc, he is capable of creating his own shot when needed.
Estrada is Alabama’s second transfer addition this offseason as the Tide brought in Wichita State wing Jaykwon Walton last month.
Alabama’s roster is currently in flux thanks to a mixture of graduation, draft departures and transfers.
Senior reserves Noah Gurley and Dom Welch will move on after exhausting their eligibility.
Meanwhile, starters Charles Bediako, Noah Clowney, Brandon Miller and Mark Sears have all entered their names in the NBA Draft. Miller and Clowney are projected to be selected as first-round picks this June while Bediako and Sears are expected to return to the team unless they receive an unexpected boost in interest from teams. Players have until May 31 to withdraw their names and return to their schools while still remaining eligible for next season.
Along with its draft hopefuls, Alabama is also waiting to hear back from senior guard Jahvon Quinerly, who has one year of eligibility remaining if he elects to use it.
The Crimson Tide has already seen Nimari Burnett transfer to Michigan, while fellow guard Jaden Bradley entered the transfer portal earlier this month. In addition, freshman signee R.J. Johnson asked for his release from his National Letter of Intent last month.
As of now, Estrada and Walton are two of eight definite scholarship players for next year’s roster. The Crimson Tide returns sophomore guard Rylan Griffen, senior forward Nick Pringle and redshirt freshman guard Davin Cosby Jr. and is add three freshmen in forwards Mouhamed Dioubate, Kris Parker and Sam Walters.
Alabama’s scholarship count will rise to 10 if Bediako and Sears return as expected, while Quinerly’s return would push it to 11. The NCAA scholarship limit for basketball is 13.