Why this Michigan Basketball transfer could shape the 2026-27 season

The Michigan men’s basketball team already looked like it landed one of the more intriguing front court additions in the transfer portal when former Cincinnati Bearcat Moustapha Thiam committed last month, and it only continues to look more and more like a match made in heaven.

In a recent On3 article highlighting under-the-radar transfer portal additions that could shape the 2026-27 college basketball season, Thiam was one of the names singled out.

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“Thiam’s skill set is not like any of the previous bigs that May has had,” Jamie Shaw of On3 wrote. “He has shown flashes of shooting touch as well as top-end-type defense. If things click, Thiam has lottery upside.”

The big man averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while earning All-Big 12 honorable mention recognition last season with the Bearcats. During his two year collegiate career, Thiam has shot the ball well from the field at 52.5 percent and has tallied 38 total threes (29 percent) during that time. He has also accounted for 21 double-digit scoring games, multiple 20-point performances, and some huge outings against high-level competition, including 28 points against Kansas.

At 7-foot-2, Thiam — who was the No. 13 overall player in the portal by 247Sports this offseason — also has the size that Michigan desperately needs following Aday Mara’s entry to the NBA Draft. Thiam protects the rim and rebounds well, and he has enough offensive versatility to create matchup problems.

That’s the part that makes this interesting for Michigan’s new-look squad. And if there’s one coach who has earned the benefit of the doubt with big men lately, it’s probably Dusty May. Michigan just won a national championship with an elite front court, and May’s track record with developing big men is now impossible to ignore. Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf both elevated their stock dramatically in Ann Arbor, while Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg all continue to generate plenty of…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-michigan-basketball-transfer-could-140000950.html

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Publish date : 2026-05-21 14:00:00

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