Ali Haidar (basketball)

Ali Haidar (in Arabic علي حيدر) (born in Lebanon on 20 July 1990) is a Canadian basketball player of Lebanese origin. The 6'7" forward plays in Michigan Technological University's (MTU) Michigan Tech Huskies Men's basketball program in NCAA Division II.^[1]

Career

Haidar born in South Lebanon to Mohammad and Mona Haidar. He has four brothers and two sisters. He immigrated with his family to Canada in 2006, where he studied at J.L. Forster Secondary School in Windsor, Ontario, playing starting 2006–2007 season in the high school's Forster Spartans basketball team.^[2] While in Forster, he was named "most improved player" of his team in 2006–2007, playing in the Windsor and Essex County Secondary School Athletic Association Championships and was named "Mr. Basketball" and MVP of his team in both 2007–2008 and 2008–09 helping Forster to a 28-8 record and the South Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association Championship in 2007–2008.

Upon graduation from Forster, he was offered a scholarship at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, USA specializing in an engineering double major starting 2010 while playing for the MTU Huskies basketball program playing in the GLIAC (GLIAC) in NCAA Division II. He earned the Bob Olson Award as the Huskies basketball "best newcomer" in 2009–2010 season, his first season there. In season 2 in 2010–2011, he won Ken Hamar Award as the team's MVP, the Bill Gappy Award recipient as the team's "most improved player" and was named to All-GLIAC North Division First Team. In his third year 2011–2012, Haidar was named GLIAC "player of the year" and named to All-GLIAC North Division First Team and to All Midwest region Second Team.

The Lebanese Basketball Federation invited Haidar for summer tryouts in June 2011, Haidar. He was one of 25 players competing for 12 spots on the national team. He had his international debut playing in a regional tournament in Jordan, representing Lebanon.^[3]

References