Quotes: Everything IU basketball junior forward Aiden Sherrell said after Tuesday’s practice

• Alex Bozich

• 47m ago

 

A 2024 McDonald’s All-American, Aiden Sherrell spent his first two seasons at Alabama.

The Michigan native committed to the Hoosiers out of the transfer portal in April and is expected to be a major contributor in a new look frontcourt for Darian DeVries.

The 6-foot-11 forward was one of three Hoosiers to talk to the media on Tuesday following a practice at Cook Hall.

Here’s a full transcript of Sherrell’s comments from Tuesday’s media session in the locker room at Assembly Hall:

On the recruiting process out of the transfer portal:

“A lot of schools reached out, but most of the process was just taking a lot of phone calls and everything, and having a lot of meetings, but ultimately I came to this decision because I feel like this is a great place for me, for sure.”

On choosing Indiana:

“I was looking for a spot that was going to help me be the best player I could be, for sure, on and off the court. I was looking for a spot that was going to push me to play outside of my comfort zone and just continue to build me as a player and help me reach my goals at the end of the day.”

On playing the four so far in Bloomington:

“It isn’t really different because in high school I usually played the four, so I was pretty used to it.”

On whether he’s excited about playing the four next to Samet Yigitoglu:

“Yeah, I was definitely excited, especially playing next to Samet. He’s a great teammate, he’s a great player. He helps out so much, and just playing with someone like him alongside me, it’s super fun to play that way.”

On whether he’ll be able to show more of his perimeter game:

“Yeah, of course. I think that definitely helps me showcase my game a lot more and just show what I have.”

On what his game is for those who haven’t watched him play:

“I can do pretty much everything. I’m very versatile. I can play inside, play outside. I can guard multiple positions. I’m just a guy who goes out there and does whatever it takes to win.”

On what he can draw from his experience winning games at Alabama and bring it to Bloomington:

“Definitely leadership, for sure. I can bring that a lot here. We’ve got a lot of young guys. I can help teach them the ropes. I’ve got teammates who came from programs that didn’t get to win enough. Just helping them to bring what it takes to win, for sure. Just that leadership and continuous effort, for sure.”

On playing with Markus Burton:

“It’s great playing with Markus, for sure. When me and him are clicking, it’s super hard to stop. Markus is a great teammate. He does so much.”

On building chemistry with Burton:

“I feel like both of us are doing an important job on building chemistry with each other. He definitely does that, for sure. He’s a great teammate, so he’s going to make sure we have great chemistry.”

On the upcoming games in Peru:

“It’s going to be great for building chemistry and everything. We get to play early, so we get to get the knocks out early. Just being able to compete against someone else as a team, it’s a great opportunity.”

On his impressions of Darian DeVries:

“He’s super, super serious. Really basketball oriented. When he talked to me about coming here, it was all basketball. It was all focused on basketball. That’s something that I appreciated. He’s trying to make me better on the court and as a young man.”

On what DeVries told him he can bring to the program and IU’s recruiting pitch:

“It was definitely big on what I could bring to the team and his philosophy, for sure. What I could bring to the team, the way he told me, it was mutual, for sure. Just him giving me a role to have a lot more impact on the game, I appreciated that.”

On if there are things in his game that he hasn’t shown yet:

“Yeah, I feel like there’s some things. I showed flashes at Alabama sometimes. Just the confidence that my coaches and my teammates are giving me. I’m definitely going to go out there and show that.”

On if he’s hoping to play more minutes:

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win. Whatever is required, I’m going to do that.”

On where he grew up in Detroit:

“I grew up on the east side of Detroit. I went to elementary school at Detroit Edison. I went all the way to middle school. My brothers went to high school in New Haven. I did my 8th grade year there. That’s when I left Detroit. As soon as I got to high school, I left the state of Michigan.”

On leaving Michigan to play high school basketball elsewhere:

“It definitely was a hard decision for sure. I had to take a risk. I want this. I want my life to be like this. I want to play the game of basketball at a super high level. I just got to do whatever it takes.”

On how old he was when he decided the best path was to leave Michigan:

“I believe I was 13 or 14. It was rough at first for sure. It was hard leaving my parents and everyone back home.
At the end of the day, it worked out. I’m super grateful for that.”

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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