The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544920
38 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2026 2026 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan coach Dusty May has made an NBA pick out of just about ev- ery transfer portal big man he's brought to U-M, and it appears that trend might continue. Former Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam, one of this year's big- gest prizes in the portal, committed to the Wolverines April 24 with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Thiam (7-2, 250) started in all 31 of his games for the Bearcats last year, av- eraging 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game. He shot 52.5 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from long range. "I thought he was probably the best center in the portal overall," Michigan assistant Kyle Church said on the "De- fend the Block" podcast. "I don't know exactly where he ranks, but I didn't see a name that was a true center like him that had the talent, that had the mo- tor, that had the character, that had the upside. "I could go on and on about him, but his size, mobility and physicality are really going to stand out. It's obviously hard to replace a 7-foot-3 Aday Mara, and Moustapha will do it in his own way. He's certainly a different player than Aday, but I can't think of a more seam- less transition there." Thiam is from the same mold as Vlad Goldin, who was more of a paint pres- ence and shot blocker than a stretch big man. He can be an eraser at the rim while his offensive game continues to improve, though he can shoot it a bit, too. He'll step out and nail a triple, at times, making 15 of 52 last year. "He fits well, and he's only go- ing to get better," said Scott Springer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. "He's got some things to improve on, but I'd be shocked if he went another year in col- lege beyond this, but you never know. There might be good money to do so. "The guy started playing basketball at like 14. He's six years into this, so he can only get better. [Central Flor- ida head coach] Johnny Dawkins said so himself when Cincinnati played the Knights down there in Orlando. I asked him about Thiam, who had a pretty good game, and even though he's disap- pointed that he lost him, he had nothing but good things to say. The sky's the limit there." But there is room for improvement, he continued. "He can change shots just by being there at that size. Now, he didn't block as many shots," Springer said. "He blocked 88 for UCF the previous year, and it was 50 for Cincinnati. But you also had Baba Miller back there, so you had a couple bigs. That may have been part of it. I've heard some people say maybe UCF's de- fense wasn't so hot and guys were just getting to the rim a little bit more. Maybe that's the other end of it. "But he's improved in his physicality. The strength staff put some pounds on him. Naturally, he's going to have to be tough, because the Big Ten — like the Big 12 — is a very physical league. This will prep him for his NBA career." That's one of the big reasons he chose Michigan over his other suitors. May wasn't bragging when he said all his big men went to the NBA — he was just stating a fact. Thiam figures to be next in line if he progresses as expected. ❑ The 7-foot-2, 250-pound Thiam started in all 31 of his games for the Bearcats last year, averag- ing 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 27.2 minutes per game. PHOTO BY KYLE DRESSMAN/CINCINNATI ATHLETICS A Huge Pickup Cincinnati's Moustapha Thiam Is U-M's Fourth 7-Foot Transfer In Three Years By The Numbers • Thiam's strength is his defense. He notched 138 blocks over the last two seasons (2024- 25 at UCF and 2025-26 at Cincinnati), and he led the Big 12 with 2.6 blocks per game two seasons ago and was sixth last year. The Bearcats finished 10th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency last season, and a lot of that was because of Thiam's presence. • He needs to continue improving his low post game, because it's still somewhat of a work in progress. Some have called Thiam more of a "finesse player" who relies a bit too much on his jump hook and short jumpers near the rim rather than using his big frame to physically dominate near the rim. • Thiam's 0.38 assist-to-turnover ratio (16 to 42) last year compares more to Vlad Goldin's 0.47 mark (40 to 86) two seasons ago, but this past year U-M benefited from Aday Mara's 1.23 ratio (97 to 79) en route to the championship. • Thiam compares favorably to former Texas 7-footer Mo Bamba. The latter was a lot- tery pick (No. 6 overall) who started his NBA career in Orlando in 2018 and lasted with the Magic until 2023 before being traded. He's had short stints with several NBA teams since. Bamba had a massive wingspan like Thiam and was known for blocking shots and being able to shoot it a bit.