Michigan bolsters frontcourt with commitment from 7-foot-2 center Moustapha Thiam

Michigan has its next 7-foot transfer in Cincinnati’s Moustapha Thiam, who ranks No. 13 on The Athletic’s list of the top players in the transfer portal. Thiam announced the commitment on social media.

Thiam, listed at 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds, averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds last season for the Bearcats. The Wolverines now have three players committed from the transfer portal, all 6-foot-10 or taller: Thiam, Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella and LSU transfer Jalen Reed.

Thiam follows in the footsteps of other big men who have transferred to Michigan during coach Dusty May’s two-year tenure. The Wolverines won the national championship this season with one of the most imposing frontcourts in college basketball, led by UCLA transfer Aday Mara and Illinois transfer Morez Johnson Jr. The Wolverines advanced to the Sweet 16 in May’s first season behind 7-foot transfers Danny Wolf from Yale and Vlad Goldin from Florida Atlantic.

Michigan is reloading for next season with Mara and Johnson considering the NBA Draft. Neither player has announced a decision, though On3 reported Friday that Johnson would declare for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility. Thiam would be a natural replacement for the 7-foot-3 Mara, who has been projected as a first-round pick after a strong NCAA Tournament.

The Athletic’s scouting report describes Thiam as a raw offensive player who is “best as a cutter and roller when he can just catch and finish.” The scouting report notes that he struggled at times to hold his ground and maintain his dribble on post-ups and is a sub-30-percent 3-point shooter in his career. A big selling point is his defense: His block rate, though not as high as Mara’s, ranked in the top 100 nationally, and opponents struggled to score at the rim when he was on the floor.

The Wolverines will lose Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg but will return point guard Elliot Cadeau and combo guard Trey McKenney. Their 2026 recruiting class, led by five-star combo guard Brandon McCoy, is No. 5 in the Rivals industry rankings.