'Fresh start': Former Michigan forward Youssef Khayat transferring to MAC program

Youssef Khayat’s basketball journey has taken him from Lebanon to France to Ann Arbor.

Next stop: Bowling Green.

The former Michigan forward announced his commitment to the Falcons on Tuesday, three weeks after he entered the transfer portal following his second season with the Wolverines.

“Fresh start,” Khayat wrote in an Instagram post, which featured a picture of him in a Bowling Green jersey.

The 6-foot-9 Lebanon native was a standout for the Limoges CSP U21 program in France and was a late addition to Michigan's 2022 recruiting class. However, he battled injuries during his two years in Ann Arbor and played sparingly under former coach Juwan Howard, which led him to seek a new opportunity elsewhere.

Khayat appeared in 17 games and averaged 5.8 minutes per contest as a sophomore this past season. For his career, he played in 26 games, with one start, and tallied 36 points and 24 rebounds in 154 total minutes.

At Bowling Green, Khayat will join a Falcons team that finished 20-14 and placed fifth in the Mid-American Conference standings with a 10-8 mark in coach Todd Simon’s first season.

Khayat, who has two years of eligibility remaining, is the second former Wolverine to announce his transfer destination, following Dug McDaniel (Kansas State). Three other Michigan players — center Tarris Reed Jr., guard George Washington III and forward Terrance Williams II — also have entered the transfer portal.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins