As a result of the depth and balance of their team, Colorado has started the season strong at 8-1. Alon Michaeli has been a pleasant surprise off the bench for Tad Boyle.
Michaeli, a 6-foot-9 Israeli forward, signed a Financial Aid Agreement to join the Buffs in late August. Alon wasn't able to make the four-game exhibition trip in Australia with the team prior to the season, so he had more catching up to do regarding chemisty with the squad.
Prior to joining Colorado, he played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, which is no small feat. Even though he played only eight minutes a game, he shot 51 percent from the field. In Michaeli's case, it was beneficial to obtain that kind of experience, playing against grown men, before joining a collegiate team.
""Alon has got big, broad shoulders. He knows how to use his body. He's not afraid of contact, so he embraces physicality," Boyle said. "He's not your typical freshman.""Oliver Hayes -- 247Sports
He’s not your typical freshman.
Alon Michaeli is not your typical freshman for Colorado basketball
The native of Kfar Saba, Israel has been a valuable component of Colorado's bench consisting of all freshmen. Michaeli alongside fellow freshman Isaiah Johnson, who currently leads the team in scoring with 15.1 points per contest, have created quite the 1-2 punch.
In their most recent game on the road against Colorado State, Michaeli scored a season high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, knocking down 3-of-5 from downtown. He also played a season high 24 minutes in that contest as Boyle trusted the youngster down the stretch.
Michaeli and Johnson accounted for 36 of Colorado’s 44 bench points in the loss.
It’s still very early into the 2025-26 campaign, but Michaeli is turning heads with his play and making a huge impact on this Colorado team. Over the course of the last eight games, he has scored in double figures in seven of them. His playing time has steadily increased as well.