Hoops: CJ Lee Hired as Administrative Assistant

[press release]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan men's basketball head coach John Beilein announced today (Tuesday, Nov. 9) the hiring of former Wolverine C.J. Lee as the administrative specialist for the Wolverine program, after Travis Conlan was elevated to the Director of Basketball Operations.

"I am thrilled to come back and formally be a part of the Michigan basketball program," said Lee. "This is an opportunity that I am very thankful for. I look forward to learning under Coach Beilein, his staff, and the entire athletic administration. My role will allow me to learn the operations side of collegiate athletics and see the game of basketball from a different perspective."

After transferring to Michigan from Manhattan College, Lee played in 67 games as a Wolverine and a 103 total in his collegiate career. Walking on to the Wolverines, Lee earned a second semester scholarship as a senior and closed the year earning his bachelor's degree in political science.

Returning for his fifth year, Lee was awarded a full scholarship from Beilein, was named a co-captain and was an integral part in a Wolverine late-season run and subsequent return to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, where U-M advanced to the second round.

Lee was named a Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winner and was a Michigan Daily Student of the Year, one of 10 recipients. He closed his career recording his first career double-digit scoring performance with 11 points against Oklahoma in the NCAA second round.

A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Lee was awarded the Thad Garner Leadership Award twice, the Wayman Britt Outstanding Defensive Player (2009) and the Steve Grote Hustle Award (2008) by the program.

In May of 2010, Lee completed his master's degree in public policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

While continuing to finish his master's following his final season, Lee worked for the recent State of Michigan Governor-elect Rick Snyder on his campaign. He served as a travel aide and policy/communications staffer until April 2010.

After graduating, Lee began work at Ann Arbor SPARK. As a business development manager with SPARK, Lee helped established companies maneuver the local and state business climate by connecting them to the resources designed to help them succeed.

[/press release]

Good for CJ, and it seems like he'll be a valuable addition to the program. His contributions (and David Merritt's) to the 2008-09 team are often overlooked, but the Wolverines definitely don't make the tournament without those guys.