While Duke is still waiting on a decision from sophomore center Patrick Ngongba on whether he will enter the NBA Draft or return to Duke, Jon Scheyer isn't just sitting back and twiddling his thumbs.
The Blue Devils are aggressively pursuing potential replacement options to ensure they don't get left in the cold without an anchor in the middle.
Duke is in the mix for Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, who would appear to be the top priority and a perfect fit for what Scheyer wants out of his center. But putting all your eggs into that one basket wouldn't be wise, and Duke is exploring other options, too.
One of those options appears to be Alabama big man Aiden Sherrell, who officially entered the Transfer Portal on Thursday.
Duke is showing interest in Alabama's Aiden Sherrell
Sherrell made a massive leap from his freshman to sophomore seasons at Alabama. He went from being a backup big for the Crimson Tide to one of their most important players this year, similarly to the trajectory of Ngongba in Durham.
Sherrell averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game while knocking down 34% of his three-pointers on 80 attempts. He can provide a stretch-five component that Duke hasn't had. Ngongba wasn't shy about letting them fly from downtown, but he connected on just 8-of-31 (25.8%).
The one concern with Sherrell is that he isn't the same kind of athlete that Ngongba is or Khaman Maluach was before him, so there would be an adjustment on both ends for the Blue Devils. He's not that rim-running athlete, but he's incredibly skilled on the offensive end and took major strides on the defensive end as a sophomore.
Bidunga seems to be the better fit, but Sherrell wouldn't be a bad consolation prize. He'd also be an interesting fit next to 5-star Cameron Williams, giving Duke a versatile starting frontcourt.