Juwan Howard's eyes light up talking about Youssef Khayat and his skillset
Michigan will add five freshmen to the team this year, including yet another international standout in Lebanon’s Youssef Khayat. The 6-9 wing was one of five foreign players head coach Juwan Howard identified who he thought could help his team — but he got especially excited when Khayat told him he was leaning toward playing college ball.
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Other schools were very interested, as well. Howard, though, made him a priority, and his perseverance landed him what should be a huge piece to a young and talented team.
His eyes lit up when asked about his new addition.
“Youssef is a very dynamic and bigger wing,” Howard said of Khayat Thursday. “I say bigger because he’s like 6-9ish, close to almost 6-10. He’s very athletic. He can shoot the ball from the outside and stretch the floor. You can play him at multiple positions because of his versatility.
“I’m excited about the athleticism. He also is a high IQ player, too. That’s very valuable when you have a guy who you didn’t get a chance to watch him in person. I watched the team [though], and let me be specific. I watch games, not just watch highlights, because you can come up with a highlight tape. So can I. But I watch games. It gives me an idea of like what type of player he really is.”
And he’s a good one, which is clear on film and in person.
Howard started pursuing Khayat when Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate decided to keep their names in the NBA Draft, knowing he’d have two available scholarships. Right away, he said, he identified Youssef was their guy and that he fit the culture.
That’s been a theme in everyone he’s recruited. The latest crop of freshmen are salt of the earth people as well as great ball players, and Khayat fit that bill.
“There were a few international prospects that I was looking at at the time. Youssef stuck out to me — ‘this is the guy,'” Howard continued. “I talked to him the first time, hearing that college was an option. I breathed and settled down a bit … ‘it’s time to roll up my sleeves.’ I had to share with him about how he fits with the Michigan culture, share with him about the Michigan experience — that’s from academics to Ann Arbor as a whole as far as what we have to offer.
“I enjoy living here, and I came from Miami. I have to love Ann Arbor, and I do. Sharing that experience, along with Dearborn having a large community of Lebanese. That right there, I’m sure, was very attractive to Youssef and his family.”
From there, he said, it was “all hands on deck” in landing Khayat over offers from Xavier, Wake Forest, and others.
“And we were behind, which is fine,” Howard said. “That’s our goal sometimes in recruiting. You see a guy that can be a huge, valuable part of his group and team, that we were just all in.”
There’s been talk Khayat would join the team for its European trip starting next week. The team will go to France and Greece and play several exhibition games. While Howard wouldn’t confirm Khayat would be with them, he did say he’d join the team “very soon.”
He can’t wait to see what Khayat brings to the court.
“We haven’t had him practice yet, but what he presents from the skill level, which I just touched on earlier, is that we need him,” Howard said. “There’s a difference between needs and wants, sure. We want everything in life, but when you need something, that’s a big difference. That’s how I identify it. That’s my definition.”
Both wanted and needed, Khayat figures to be a big part of some talented teams over the next few years.
