Michigan basketball named finalist for Lebanese forward Youssef Khayat

Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines have had a busy offseason. Even with Hunter Dickinson returning, all the other attrition has Michigan with an empty roster spot that needs to be filled before the new season begins.

Meet Youssef Khayat, a 2022 Lebanese forward who announced the Wolverines were on his final four list of schools:

Khayat could join a slew of international players who have made their way to Ann Arbor in recent years. Guys like Nik Stauskas, Ignas Brazdeikis, the Wagner brothers, Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan have all made their way to the NBA after coming through Ann Arbor.

As a 19-year-old, Khayat has been playing for Limoges CSP in France’s U21 program, where he has been the team’s leading scorer averaging 17.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. On top of that, he has traveled the world playing for Lebanon’s senior national team, who won the country’s first ever FIBA Arab Championship. Both leagues play from the collegiate-level three-point line, where Khayat has shot more than 35% on an average of five attempts per contest.

Eurohoops’ Ludovico Basso said Khayat, “projects as an excellent two-way player at D-I level because of his defensive prowess and ability to score the ball within the flow of the game. With his size and athleticism, it’s hard to stop him in the open court and when finishing on the move and off the catch. He probably won’t be someone who scores 20 points night in and night out but he’s going to impact winning at a high major level.”

The Michigan basketball team will be in France in August on a European tour where they will play against some international competition. The team will also play Kentucky in London during the 2022-23 season in a match that was postponed due to COVID. Attracting this kind of international recruits is exactly why both blue bloods wanted to put on a performance like this one.

Check out Khayat’s highlight reel: