The Wolverines secured the fifth pledge in the 2022 class today with Youseff Khayat making his commitment to Michigan. 

GURU RANKINGS

With no other rankings to speak of, your author is the sole guru here, though that term has a very loose definition in the context of this matter. If there was ever a time to take my analysis with a grain of salt, please feel free to do just that here.

Obvious caveats that I have not viewed Khayat live and only have limited film to evaluate, but I'd conservatively project him to have the impact of a prospect in the 50-80 range. 

FIBA lists him at 6'8. Couldn't find a weight that seems accurate/current. Eye test says 6'8 looks about right and somewhere in the 195 - 200 pound range. Eurohoops reports a 6'10 wingspan. 

 

SCOUTING

The biggest appeal for me is the versatility in scoring package in tandem with his size. On film, Khayat displays the ability to score as an off-ball floorspacer, a guy that can create his own shot against slower defenders with straight line drives, while being a mismatch against smaller defenders from the mid-post area and a superb transition scorer.

Let's start with the perimeter shooting. Youssef is an above-average shooter from distance, with very good mechanics at that size. It is a very projectable shot with no unnecessary motion and a high release point. It's very encouraging that the film displays him hitting triples on the move via relocations, DHOs and the occasional pull-up. The numbers aren't eye-popping, but connecting on 35.2% beyond the arc on nearly 5 attempts per game in 33 contests last season seems indicative of a floor-spacer.

Khayat is more than just a shooter, he's adept at handling the ball and creating a bit for himself from the wing in isolations and coming off down-screens. He's not shifty by any means, but the handle is good enough for him to attack the rim in half-court scenarios. He flashes the ability to change direction once with a live dribble before getting downhill. Solid agility aids him in optimizing his ballhandling ability.

The mid-post is another area of the court where Youseff is comfortable. The combo of size/handle/shotmaking allows him to bully smaller defenders or use the the threat of his handle to create space for step-back jumpers. 

Love what I see in transition, as he pushes the ball with purpose in the open court and is generally looking to score for himself but also willing to advance the ball. He also excels running the wing and finishing plays created by teammates.

Doesn't appear to be much of a playmaker for others at this stage of development, but is capable of making basic reads once he collapses a defense off the dribble.

From an athletic perspective, Khayat appears to have good straight line speed and solid agility for his size/position. Not a twitchy leaper, but the typical run + jump type that needs space to manifest verticality. Probably needs to add ten pounds of muscle mass and get stronger to withstand the physicality of the B10. 

Eurohoops' evaluation from December 2021 echoes my praise of the agility and think that in tandem with his motor projects well defensively:

"Let’s start with his athletic profile: Khayat is a 6’8 forward with a +2 wingspan. He possesses good fluidity and coordination which allow him to move well around the court and get to his spots. He’s not extremely vertical but he’s quick and explosive to get up. As a matter of fact, it’s not rare to see him dunk with authority when finishing. Offensively, Youssef can’t be considered a shot creator at this point. Instead, he scores the majority of his points by running hard in the open court and cutting with great intensity and timing. He displays constant motion off the ball and good reads when taking advantage of defensive mistakes. He also showcased an improved and refined finishing package in the paint, flashing a promising floater. Moreover, Khayat has tremendous defensive upside thanks to his motor, willingness to sit in a stance, lateral movements and instincts. He projects as someone who could potentially guard both forwards positions at the high major D-1 level and switch onto guards out on the perimeter. He’s not afraid of diving for loose balls and regularly makes winning plays."

Envergure likes his perimeter shotmaking ability coupled with the size, while saying shot-creation is an area for development:

"His main quality remains shooting, and even if his game is rather complete, he can already have a specialist role. His imposing physique also allows him a real hardness on the wings, which few players had this year in Espoirs. Very few have actually been able to put him in physical difficulty. Evolving most of the time away from the leather, he is able to go to the basket to finish in the circle, and this despite a dribble which remains one of the major areas for improvement. On a placed game, this dribble should allow him to navigate better, but in transition, he can already be impressive with the ball in hand and often appears difficult to defend once launched. We are waiting to see his progress next year, whether on the professional level in Europe or why not across the Atlantic, in the NCAA for example."

[After THE JUMP: stats, film and projection]

OFFERS

Michigan beat out remaining finalists Xavier, DePaul and Wake Forest. Reports claim that both Maryland and Georgetown were involved as well.

FRANCE U21 CLUB

Suited up for Limoges CSP and averaged 16.7pts, 7.5reb, 1,8ast on 43.6% FG and 35.2% from three during 33 games in 2021-22.

VIDEO

2021-22 Early Season Highlights from Brandon Goble

February 2022 Single Game Highlights from MTV Lebanon:

 

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Khayat projects as combo-forward that looks a bit more PF than SF for now. In order for him to earn meaningful minutes, he'll need to beat out some combination of Terrance Williams, Joey Baker, Jett Howard, Isaiah Barnes, Will Tschetter and Gregg Glenn. That doesn't seem likely given that Williams played legit rotational minutes last year and I doubt Joey Baker is coming to Michigan for spot minutes. 

The wildcard? Kobe Bufkin. The sophomore has a lot of skill, but isn't the most agile player around and lacked the requisite mass/strength to be an adequate defender last season. If he adds 10-15 pounds during the off-season and displays improved defensive acumen, I'm inclined to believe he plays rotational minutes and Youssef is essentially limited to mop-up duty. I'm told the staff no longer views Kobe as an on-ball option, so I'm working with the assumption that he's strictly viewed as a 2/3 next season. 

But what if Bufkin can't cut it? In that scenario a few of the aforementioned players inevitably slide down to the 2/3 spots, namely Jett Howard in my opinion. That opens up the possibility for Youssef to crack the rotation as the 8th/9th guy. It doesn't seem all that remote when he's presumably fighting Barnes/Tschetter/Glenn for minutes as the 8th/9th guy off the bench. In any event, I can't envision a situation where he's playing more than 12-15 minutes per game during conference play as a freshman unless he's seriously exceeding expectations. 

Year two is when I expect him to be a steady contributor. With Joey Baker no longer in Ann Arbor, the path to playing time becomes much more viable. To be candid, I think Khayat is more talented and has more upside then either of Glenn/Tschetter, with Terrance Williams having much more in the way of valuable experience. While Khayat may not lock down a starting spot, I'd project him to be a normal rotational piece that gets consistent stints in both halves. His half-court offense should be mostly catch + shoot threes and attacking closeouts, coupled with some baskets off cuts and putbacks. Provided he's added 10-15 pounds of muscle mass, I'm intrigued by his defensive ability. I think the agility is solid at that size, and coupled with his motor I think he could be a real plus defensively. 

Assuming he's around for the upperclassmen years, I think a fully optimized Youssef may look something like senior version Aaron White (former Iowa standout) with more volume from distance. A versatile player that scores in a variety of ways, but not necessarily elite at any one skill facet. 

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

This presumably brings the 2022 class to a close.