The BYU Cougars men’s basketball program has seen some attrition this offseason via the transfer portal, but it finally got a positive in that department on Sunday.
In the evening, former Charlotte 49ers big man Aly Khalifa announced his pledge to the Cougars on social media.
Listed by Charlotte at 6-foot-11 and 230 pounds, Khalifa has a unique basketball background.
He hails from Alexandria, Egypt, and played on the Egyptian U17 national team as a teenager. He then moved to Australia to go to the NBA Global Academy there (there are a number of such academies around the world).
After signing with Charlotte, Khalifa redshirted the 2020-21 season before being named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year the following year.
Last season, he garnered conference honorable mention recognition after averaging 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as the 49ers won the CBI postseason tournament.
Khalifa, who has become known as the “Egyptian Magician” because of his playmaking ability, announced on March 28 that he would be entering the transfer portal.
Khalifa will join a BYU frontcourt that is expected to include Fousseyni Traore, Atiki Ally Atiki and Noah Waterman next season as the Cougars transition to the Big 12 Conference.
While Khalifa has not yet officially signed with BYU, on Saturday the Cougars women’s basketball program announced that it has signed a countrywoman of Khalifa’s, forward Jana Sallman.