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ANN ARBOR — Youssef Khayat pulled as much as a resort in Paris late at night time to fulfill the Michigan basketball crew for the primary time. His new teammates have been ready for him, some at avenue degree, others up a couple of stairs within the foyer. They clapped and cheered as head coach Juwan Howard was the primary to embrace him, with a hand slap and a hug.
“We’re so blissful to have you ever right here,” Howard told him, smiling vast. “Lastly.”
“Lastly,” Khayat agreed.
Howard turned in the direction of a few of the gamers, prolonged his arm, and mentioned, “Welcome to the household.”
The previous few months have been a whirlwind for Khayat, a 19-year-old who grew up in Lebanon earlier than shifting to France to play skilled basketball. In July, he joined the Lebanese nationwide crew for a contest in Indonesia. Michigan’s summer season exercises have been already underway in Ann Arbor. He missed these, however ultimately joined the Wolverines throughout their exhibition tour in August earlier than flying again to Michigan with the crew.
He’s felt proper at residence.
“Each since Day One I felt like we have been a household,” Khayat mentioned final week. “I met them in Paris and it was so fast — folks have been so welcoming. That was stunning to me. In Europe, they simply depart you alone: ‘You do your factor.’ Right here it’s a real household.”
Credit score Howard for fostering that vibe. Khayat referred to as him a real man who loves his gamers.
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Nonetheless, Khayat dedicated to Michigan — and Howard believed in Khayat — with out an in-person assembly. Howard and his workers have been used to recruiting over cellphone calls and Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Khayat mentioned the extra conventional route in Europe is to stay a professional, however he’d heard from ex-college gamers that he would benefit from the school expertise in the USA. “And Michigan,” Khayat famous, “isn’t a random faculty.”
Precisely how Michigan and Khayat related stays a little bit of a thriller. Howard has mentioned it was all fingers on deck to fill Michigan’s roster spots as soon as Moussa Diabaté and Caleb Houstan left for the NBA. “We have been browsing the web, I suppose,” assistant coach Howard Eisley mentioned with a smile. Khayat solely mentioned that Howard “went by way of somebody I do know.”
Nevertheless they discovered him, Michigan’s coaches favored Khayat’s taking pictures potential, athleticism, and defensive depth.
He’s proven all of that to date in preseason practices.
Assistant coach Phil Martelli mentioned that Khayat may appear like an altar boy, however name him a “badass” for the way in which he defends.
“He’s most likely one in all finest ground runners I’ve ever seen,” teammate Jace Howard mentioned. “He’s tremendous fast. And he’s an incredible dude. He’s actually a sponge, desirous to get higher.”
(When Jace is requested about Youssef, he and two different Wolverines instantly appropriate the reporter: Yo Yo! That’s what nearly everybody calls him. Martelli, utilizing Philadelphia slang, shortens it to Yo. “It makes him an unofficial Philadelphian,” Martelli mentioned.)
Michigan is deep this season, however Khayat will get minutes on the wing together with possible starters Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard, and Joey Baker, amongst different candidates.
Khayat suits nicely with this crew, on and off the court docket. That was evident from the preliminary assembly. Howard knew when Khayat was set to reach on the resort, however he’s unsure how his gamers discovered.
“It wasn’t deliberate, it was taking place so organically, the place the blokes have been coming downstairs,” Howard mentioned. “And it was simply lovely to see how all of them needed to be there to welcome him.”
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