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Former Hofstra star Aaron Estrada is transferring to Alabama, per his Twitter.
The 6-foot-3 guard, who transferred to Hofstra from Oregon in 2021, helped lead The Pride to back-to-back 20-plus seasons over the last two years.
The Woodbury, N.J. native averaged 20.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, with 1.4 steals per game this year. He was then unanimously voted the CAA Player of the Year by conference coaches. He also won the award for the 2021-22 season.
Estrada blossomed under the leadership of head coach and former NBA player Speedy Claxton. The team finished this season with a sizzling record of 23-8, earning the top seed in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament. They lost in the playoffs but earned a bid in the NIT tournament where they stunned Rutgers in the first round before losing to No. 4 Cincinnati.
His best scoring night came against Elon this season, where he dropped 40 points after sinking 8-of-15 three-pointers. Following this impressive display, he scored 25 points in the next game against Charleston, which earned him ESPN’s “Player of the Week” award.
In April, he announced he would be entering the transfer portal for his last season in college.
“These past two years with The Pride have been nothing but great times and very exciting for me in my family,” he wrote in a statement on Twitter. “The experience here at Hofstra was like no other and will forever be within me and be carried on throughout my journey.”
He went on to thank Hofstra and its coaching staff, including Claxton.
“From day one they have done nothing but help me develop and become the best version of myself and I will forever be honored for that,” he said.
Estrada will be joining the Crimson Tide basketball team, which has qualified for the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons under the guidance of head coach Nate Oats. In the most recent postseason, Alabama made it to the Sweet Sixteen round before being eliminated by San Diego State, who would eventually lose in the finals to the University of Connecticut.
Below are Estrada’s highlights from his senior season.
Top: FILE – Hofstra guard Aaron Estrada (1) dribbling the ball during a game this season. (Credit: Hofstra Athletics/ GoHofstra.com)
