Michigan basketball commitment Lee Aaliya backs out due to issues with NCAA
The Michigan Wolverines will no longer plan for a future with Argentinian big man Lee Aaliya, who officially announced on Wednesday night that he will not attend the school due to clearance issues with the NCAA.
Aaliya was identified as a late target in the 2023 recruiting class by Michigan head coach Juwan Howard. He committed to the program on Aug. 26, but never appeared in the university directory or joined the program this season.
Instead, he will head to Spain to play basketball.
Aaliya released a statement on he de-commitment on Jan. 31:
Last year, as many of you may know, I formalized my commitment to the University of Michigan. However, due to circumstances beyond my control involving the NCAA, I had to redirect my path from the USA to Spain. Despite this unexpected and significant change, I am pleased to announce my upcoming move to Universidad Catolica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), going on loan to Palmer Basket Mallorca for this season. I express my deep gratitude to everyone for their ongoing support and the word of encouragement I have received and to the UCAM and Palmer Basket for opening the doors to this new path.
Deeply thankful, Lee A. Aaliya
Aaliya 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.
Here’s the release from his signing with Palmer Basket:
The 2.05 m Argentine power forward joins the team until the end of the season. The player is one of the great jewels of Argentine basketball. In the last U-19 World Cup he contributed 17.1 points per game. Aaliya was able to average 9 rebounds for his team during the championship. In the World Cup he put together a performance to remember against Canada in which he scored 31 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks. The talented player trained at Tolosa, later landed at Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata. The power forward also played in Atenas de Córdoba, where he cut his teeth in the National League.
Pablo Prigioni, Argentine coach, was quick to detect Aaliya’s qualities and made his debut with the senior Argentina team. The Argentine international is capable of being differential in many aspects of the game. His explosiveness, his ability to dominate in the paint, his intimidation on defense, his speed and his more than notable ball handling make him a threat to rivals.
Lee Aaliya is not only a player with a more than bright future, he is a talent destined to dominate the present. The performances that he has carried out internationally or in Argentina are proof that his evolution is advancing at accelerated steps.
Michigan currently sits at 7-14 (2-8 Big Ten) on the season. Its next contest comes Saturday afternoon against Rutgers at home at 5 p.m. ET.
