Michigan basketball has once again dipped into the transfer portal for a big.
Moustapha Thiam, a 7-foot-2, 250-pound sophomore center, has pledged to join the Wolverines, the Free Press confirmed Friday, April 24, with a person with knowledge of the program. Originally from Senegal, Thiam spent last season at Cincinnati after his freshman season at UCF.
ESPN's Shams Charania was the first to report Thiam's decision on Friday.
Thiam took a visit to Ann Arbor on Monday, April 20, and is the No. 3 center and the No. 12 overall player in the portal, per 247 Sports' composite rankings.
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Thiam was productive for the Bearcats last season, finishing second on the team in points (12.8) and rebounds (7.1) per game while leading the team in blocks (1.6) en route to an All-Big 12 honorable mention. He had nine double-doubles and scored 10 or more points on 21 occasions, including when he scored a career-high 28 points to go with eight boards in upset at Kansas.
As a freshman, Thiam averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds over his 34 games at UCF and was named a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award (given annually to the nation's top freshman). He was the only high-major freshman to average at leasts 10 points, five rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game and finished fourth in the nation in blocks.
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Thiam hasn't exactly been a knockdown 3-point shooter, but he makes them occasionally, shooting 29% (38-for-131) over his first two collegiate seasons.
The Wolverines, of course, have helped several players improve their 3-point shot − Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara both hit the first 3-pointers of their career this past season, as did Vlad Goldin the year prior − which is an element they value, in addition to an elite rim protector.
Johnson is headed to the 2026 NBA Draft (though he is keeping his college eligibility for now) while Mara is deciding between returning to Ann Arbor and entering the draft. Mara told the Free Press he would likely keep his name in the draft as long as he was a consensus top-20 pick.
U-M has now landed two bigs in the portal for the third consecutive season, with Thiam and J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) following Johnson and Mara last year and Goldin and Danny Wolf two seasons ago.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball lands Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam in portal