Similar to their football program, Alabama has chosen to reload rather than rebuild heading into 2023-24 with the addition of Hofstra star guard Aaron Estrada from the transfer portal. The 20+ PPG senior out of New Jersey is one of the most dynamic scorers in college basketball and will spend his final collegiate season with the Crimson Tide.
In this edition of Transfer Portal Profiles, we discuss former Hofstra guard Aaron Estrada’s game and his fit at Alabama.
Career at Hofstra
Hofstra was Estrada’s third stop after spending a season at Saint Peter’s and one at Oregon to start his collegiate career. He made an immediate impact with the Pride, averaging 19.3 points across 63 starts and leading the program to a CAA regular-season championship last year. He had a handful of headline-grabbing performances, including eight 30-point outbursts across the pair of seasons with a 40-piece against Elon in January.
Scouting Report
Estrada is a flashy player that can embarrass defenders off the dribble. He has craftiness around the rim, a lethal pull-up jumper, and devastating pump fakes to entice rim-protecting shot-blockers. He has the athleticism to make the leap to the high-major level, and his shotmaking should transition perfectly. If there are any concerns, it could be Estrada’s slightly below-average turnover rate and his weakness as a defender. Those are two things that infuriate head coaches, so it’ll be worth monitoring if either improve during the offseason.
The Fit at Alabama
Since Nate Oats’s arrival, Alabama has been home to flashy guards with incredible moves in isolation sets. We could see plenty of that with Estrada in 2023-24, as he legitimately could develop into the team’s go-to option on the offensive end. He should be a great fit in the backcourt with returning point guard Mark Sears and a replacement for the NBA-bound Brandon Miller.
Check out some of our other Transfer Portal Profiles: Kerr Kriisa, West Virginia | LJ Cryer, Houston | Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
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