Michigan basketball adds 2023 Argentinian Lee Aaliya
Many signs seemed to point to Argentinian Lee Aaliya pledging to Providence — instead, the 6-9 standout forward has committed to Michigan and will be eligible to play this year. Aaliya was a standout at the U19 World Cup and has great upside.
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Aaliya was recently cleared to play in the United States and was looking at Michigan, Miami, Providence, and others … now he’ll join George Washington III, Michigan’s only other frosh, in the 2023 class.
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Aaliya is an athletic big, but he’s not exactly a shooter. He averaged 17.7 points in seven games (21 minutes per game) for Argentina in the U19 FIBA World Cup. He blocked 2.1 shots per game and hauled in 9 rebounds per contest. At the same time, while he made 4 of 12 triples, he made only 8-of-26 from the free-throw line. He went 7-for-17 at the line and 0-for-5 from 3-point arc in 10 games in Argentina’s La Liga.
From the Buenos Aires Herald: Aaliya is the son of Jeff Aaliya, a Ghanaian wrestler who arrived in Argentina in 1997 and achieved some fame a few years later when he portrayed the character of Musambe Tutu in “100% Lucha”, an Argentine wrestling TV show that ran between 2006 and 2010.
“My dream is to become a professional basketball player. I would love that. My hope is to reach the Spanish league, or [play in] Europe, maybe even the NBA”, Aaliya said a few weeks ago during a U19 World Cup press conference.
Michigan practice starts Sept. 26, but the coaches have been working with their players during the summer (now allowed per NCAA rules), especially in one-on-one situations. Head coach Juwan Howard has been working with the big men, Howard Eisley with the guards, and assistants Phil Martelli and Saddi Washington with all of them and the rest. Shooting has been a priority, as it would be for Aaliya if he ended up on campus.
“Juwan does a really good job of knocking out some of that time so we can do individual skills,” Martelli said. “I’d like to see us shoot even more … we’re getting there. This right now, if you think of it as individual, each of these players is going through tutoring. In September it will be a little more amped, but with recruiting mixed in there, it will still be the feel of a workout.”
Watch for more on Aaliya and other prospects in the days to come.
