Khalif Wyatt
Khalif Wyatt | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 10, 1991 Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Basketball player, basketball coach |
| Years active | 2009–2023 (player) |
| Known for | Atlantic 10 Player of the Year (2013), Director of Player Development at Temple University |
Khalif Wyatt (born June 10, 1991) is a former American professional basketball athlete. During his senior year in the 2012–13 campaign, he was honored as the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, leading the Owls to advance to the Round of 32 in the 2013 NCAA tournament. Wyatt posted an average of 20.5 points per game in his concluding college season. In July 2023, following a nine-year professional tenure, he returned to Temple men's basketball as the program’s inaugural Director of Player Development.
High school
Between 2005–06 and 2008–09, Wyatt was enrolled at Norristown Area High School in Norristown, Pennsylvania. During his junior year, he averaged 18.0 points per contest, steering the team to an impressive 33–2 record. Norristown was ultimately defeated in the state championship by Chester High School, which included future Temple teammate Rahlir Jefferson. In his senior season, Wyatt contributed averages of 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game, leading Norristown to capture the PIAA Class AAAA District title and securing Second Team All-State honors for a second consecutive year.
College career
Wyatt appeared in 10 games as a freshman during the 2009–10 season when Temple secured both the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) regular season and tournament championships. As a sophomore, he recorded averages of 10.1 points and 1.3 steals per game, earning recognition as the A-10 Sixth Man of the Year. The following year, in 2011–12, Temple once again claimed the A-10 regular season crown; Wyatt averaged 17.1 points per game—ranking fourth within the conference—and received Second Team All-Conference accolades despite an early departure from the NCAA tournament.
In his final collegiate season, Wyatt led Temple with averages of 20.5 points, alongside 2.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. The Owls ended with a 23–8 record and secured an at-large NCAA tournament berth as a No. 9 seed. Wyatt contributed a standout performance with 31 points to help defeat No. 8 seed NC State before facing top-seeded Indiana. His impact was so significant that Indiana coach Tom Crean deployed a rare full-court face-guard defense specifically against him—a testament to his influence on the court. Although Temple was defeated, Wyatt’s scoring display earned high praise from Crean, who described him as Indiana’s toughest adversary throughout the season.
Wyatt earned selection to the A-10 First Team All-Conference and was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, becoming Temple’s tenth player to receive this honor. On April 15, 2013, he was awarded the Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year, acknowledging his exceptional contributions within Philadelphia's collegiate basketball landscape.
Relationship with Fran Dunphy
Early in Wyatt’s tenure at Temple, his relationship with head coach Fran Dunphy was marked by frequent disagreements. Dunphy characterized Wyatt as "high maintenance" and observed their initial differences in approach. Wyatt occasionally arrived late to meetings, showed defensive lapses, and made questionable decisions on court. Over time, however, their rapport improved considerably; by Wyatt’s senior year (2012–13), mutual respect had been firmly established. After concluding his playing career, Wyatt credited Dunphy with fostering his personal growth and described him as a father figure who provided steadfast support throughout his college journey.
Guangdong Southern Tigers (2013–2014)
After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft, Wyatt participated with his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers, during the 2013 NBA Summer League. He officially signed with the 76ers on September 27, 2013, but was released less than a month later on October 25. Shortly thereafter, on October 28, 2013, Wyatt inked a contract with the Chinese squad Guangdong Southern Tigers. He left the team and China in January 2014.
Springfield Armor (2014)
Wyatt was acquired by the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League on February 13, 2014, but was traded four days later to the Springfield Armor. In his first game with Springfield, he tallied 19 points in a 108–117 defeat against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Hapoel Eilat (2014–2016)
On July 17, 2014, Wyatt signed a two-year deal with Israeli club Hapoel Eilat. During his initial season, he averaged 14.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per contest, guiding Eilat to the 2015 Israeli League Finals, where they were ultimately defeated by Hapoel Jerusalem. Wyatt earned a spot on the All-Israeli League First Team on June 19, 2015.
On March 7, 2016, Wyatt posted a career-best at that time with 33 points—including an impressive 9-of-12 from beyond the arc—in an 85–76 victory over Ironi Nes Ziona. He once again led Eilat to the 2016 Israeli League Final Four, where they fell short against Hapoel Jerusalem. On June 3, 2016, Wyatt received his second consecutive selection to the All-Israeli League First Team.
Hapoel Holon (2016–2017)
Wyatt joined Hapoel Holon for the 2016–17 season on August 2, 2016, reuniting with coach Dan Shamir, his former mentor. He was honored as Israeli League Player of the Month for December on January 1, 2017. Unfortunately, a knee injury sustained on February 4 during a game against Maccabi Rishon LeZion forced him to miss the rest of the season.
Ironi Nes Ziona (2018)
On January 9, 2018, Wyatt signed a one-month contract with an option to extend with Ironi Nes Ziona. In just his second appearance for the team, he achieved a season-high of 25 points along with four assists in an 81–84 loss to Maccabi Ashdod. On March 4, Wyatt led Nes Ziona to an 85–76 triumph over Maccabi Tel Aviv, scoring 23 points including six three-pointers and earning MVP honors for Israeli League Round 18. He contributed significantly to Nes Ziona’s advancement to the 2018 Israeli League Playoffs, where their run ended against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Return to Holon (2018)
Wyatt rejoined Hapoel Holon on July 7, 2018, signing a one-year contract. On October 17, he recorded a personal best of 35 points—featuring eight three-pointers—alongside five rebounds and five assists in a closely contested overtime loss to Reyer Venezia by a score of 104–111. Recurring knee problems in December prematurely concluded his season.
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas (2019–2020)
On October 23, 2019, Wyatt inked a short-term deal lasting three months with San Miguel Alab Pilipinas, a team competing in the pan-ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) based in the Philippines, joining as one of their trio of import players. Throughout eight appearances, he posted averages of 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per contest. Wyatt and the club mutually parted ways on January 16, 2020.
Châlons-Reims (2020)
Wyatt committed to Champagne Châlons-Reims of France's LNB Pro A league on January 30, 2020.
The Basketball Tournament
Participating in the 2018 edition of The Basketball Tournament, Wyatt represented Team Sons of Westwood. Over three games, he averaged 7.0 points and 2.0 assists, helping the squad advance to the Super 16 round before being eliminated.
Post-playing career
In July 2023, Wyatt was appointed as the inaugural Director of Player Development for the Temple men's basketball program.
Domestic Leagues
|- | style="text-align:center;" | 2013–14 | style="text-align:left;" | Guangdong | style="text-align:center;" | CBA | 28 || 26.3 || .450 || .358 || .763 || 2.3 || 4.9 || 1.3 || .1 || 14.6 |- | style="text-align:center;" | 2014 | style="text-align:left;" | Springfield Armor | style="text-align:center;" | NBDL || 20 || 28.5 || .447 || .412 || .812 || 2.4 || 3.5 || 1.6 || 0 || 16.2 |- | style="text-align:center;" | 2014–15 | style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2| Hapoel Eilat | style="text-align:center;" rowspan=5| IPL | 44 || 27.3 || .400 || .329 || .826 || 2.2 || 3.8 || 1.0 || .1 || 14.2 |- | style="text-align:center;" | 2015–16 | 37 || 28.7 || .424 || .342 || .874 || 2.6 || 4.4 || 1.4 || .1 || 15.0 |- | style="text-align:center;" | 2016–17 | style="text-align:left;" | Hapoel Holon | 18 ||30.9 || .407 || .300 || .812 || 2.5 || 4.0 || 1.2 || .1 || 18.7 |- | style="text-align:center;" | 2017–18 | style="text-align:left;" | Ironi Nes Ziona | 23 || 27.4 || .424 || .426 || .707 || 1.7 || 3.6 || 1.1 || .2 || 14.1 |- | style="text-align:center;" | 2018–19 | style="text-align:left;" | Hapoel Holon | 10 || 26.7 || .354 || .333 || .820 || 1.8 || 5.6 || 1.3 || .0 || 12.7 |- | style="text-align:center;" | 2019–20 | style="text-align:left;" | Alab Pilipinas | style="text-align:center;" | ABL | 8 || 29.3 || .460 || .470 || .910 || 3.8||4.7|| .7|| .1||16.3 |} Source: RealGM & ASEAN Basketball League