Michigan Basketball Picks Up Surprise Commitment
For a while it looked like Argentinian big man Lee Aaliya would be committing to Providence, but instead, the 6-9 post player picked the Wolverines and committed to Juwan Howard today. Aaliya will be eligible to play this upcoming season and should bring some size, versatility and toughness to roster needing a dose of all three.
Aaliya was only recently cleared to play in the United States, hence the late decision and commitment, and had been looking at Michigan and Miami, and the perceived leader Providence over the last couple of weeks. Now, he's a Wolverine, joining only George Washington III in Michigan's 2023 class.
Very recently, Aaliya has been a productive player. As outlined in the graphic above, he averaged 17.1 points, 9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in the recent U19 World Cup. He's described as a lengthy, physically imposing, 6-9 forward with a very high upside. He's not much of a shooter as evidenced during the U19 World Cup. Despite putting up solid numbers overall, he made just 4-of-12 from three-point land and he went just 8-of-26 from the free-throw line. Those numbers obviously need to improve to really contribute at Michigan but he's got a lot to work with as soon as he steps on campus.
