Eemeli Yalaho signs with Texas Tech

LUBBOCK, Texas – Eemeli Yalaho has signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the Texas Tech basketball program next season, head coach Grant McCasland announced on Tuesday. A 6-foot-8 forward from Finland, Yalaho spent last year at Western Reserve Academy in Ohio for his senior season of high school.

“We are really excited to add Eemeli to our signing class,” McCasland said. “He is extremely skilled and has an intelligent feel for the game. We can’t wait to get him here to Lubbock this summer.”

Yalaho is coming off a season at Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) where he averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He scored a season-high 28 points in a game against Spire National where he also had 12 rebounds. He scored in double figures in 17 games and over 20 in six throughout the 23-game season. He had five double-doubles and had a career-best 14 rebounds in a win over Dohn Prep where he also had eight points and five assists. He finished the season shooting 42.9 percent on 3-pointers and made at least two 3-pointers in 15 games.

A Jyväskylä, Finland native, Yalaho played for the Finish U18 National Team where he helped it win the bronze at the FIBA U18 Division B. He averaged 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, including going for 12 points against Denmark and 10 points in a win over Iceland.

Yalaho chose Texas Tech over other offers that include his final three of Providence and Nebraska.

He is the fourth signee for McCasland following Warren Washington, Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams. The first three signees were transfers who all played for NCAA Tournament teams last season. McMillian transfers in from Grand Canyon where he averaged 10.2 points per game last season, while Williams earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year playing at Nevada where he averaged 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Washington signed with Tech having one more year of eligibility after playing last season at Arizona State where he averaged 9.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

– TECH –

Release provided by WES BLOOMQUIST Texas Tech Athletics

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