One That Will Not Pop: Estrada
Zach Smart has helped tremendously, helping chronicle Georgetown's recruiting efforts, first under former head coach Pat Ewing, now doing the same with Ed Cooley in charge.
Georgetown WAS recruiting Aaron Estrada, a grad transfer possibility from Hofstra. Well, it takes two, and Estrada recently chopped his list to four. G'Town didn't make the cut.
At the bottom of the page stands a tweet identifying Estrada's choices - Florida State, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Alabama.
Following is Smart's work, detailing Estrada. Rivals.com fanbases should find it interesting and informative. Enjoy!
With Primo Spears and Brandon Murray entering their names into the transfer portal, newly minted Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley looked to load up on veteran experience as the roster overhaul process kicks off. Since starting, he's reeled in three college perimeter players in Rowan Brumgaugh, Dontrez Styles and Jayden Epps. A level down, Class of 2023 forward Drew Fielder and ''24 point guard Kayvaun Mulready have also committed.
Spears, who came in from Duquesne without lofty expectations as an unproven mid major transfer, wound up being the Hoyas best scorer. Spears averaged 16 points and, even amid a losing culture and mounting frustration, was able to spark runs with his microwave scoring and catch-and-stick presence.
One possible replacement contacted is Hofstra graduate transfer Aaron Estrada.
A former CAA Player of the Year, Estrada averaged a team-best 20.2 points to go with 5.5 boards and 3.3 assists as a senior this past season under Speedy Claxton. Estrada spearheaded the offensive flow, shooting it at 47.8 percent clip on the season, had five games of five 3-pointers or more and cemented his status as a game-breaking scorer with unparalleled spurt-ability at this level.
The 6-foot-3 combo guard morphed into the mad flamethrower during an 82-65 victory over Elon, erupting for a game-best 40 points on the strength of 16-for-25 from the field, 8-for-15 from beyond the arc. Estrada authored a 25-point scoring spree during an 85-81 victory over then-No.18 Charleston, hitting on 9-of-22 from the field and 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
The New Jersey native also registered his scoring prowess during a 29-point performance in a win over Quinnipiac and a 31-point showing in a tight loss to George Mason. He was 8-for-13 from 3-point range during those back to back performances and did not require more than 18 shots to arrive at those point totals.
An eruptive, poised, and battle-tested guard of Estrada's type would bolster a lot of backcourts throughout all conferences in the country. Especially the Big East, which is historically and currently predicated on gritty guard play.
Since entering his name into the portal, Estrada has heard from the likes of Georgetown, Alabama, Temple, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Florida State, Kansas State, St. John's, Seton Hall, Arizona, Tennessee, and a growing barrage of others
As the transfer portal continues to erupt and various fourth and fifth year and even sixth year guys find new homes, an experienced and proven commodity with a high scoring pedigree has become one of the most highly sought after items on the recruiting market.
