With former Tennessee fan favorite J.P. Estrella already committed to Michigan from the portal, the Wolverines and head coach Dusty May are looking to make their second big transfer pickup of the offseason.
Moustapha Thiam, who spent the last two seasons with the Big 12's UCF and Cincinnati, entered the portal, and when May set his sights on the big man, it didn't take long for the Michigan Wolverines to emerge as frontrunners.
When On3 updated its odds for programs to land Thiam's commitment, the Wolverines earned a resounding 69.6 percent chance, well ahead of the St. John's Red Storm with 30.4 percent odds.
Michigan Wolverines leading the charge for Moustapha Thiam
Additionally, 247Sports' Travis Branham shared that Thiam will be in Ann Arbor this week, visiting May and his staff as the 7-foot-2 center's process in the transfer portal progresses.
Thiam is the No. 12 prospect in the portal and already visited the Red Storm earlier this offseason. However, even though Michigan is his second stop, it must be nearly impossible to deny the allure of the defending National Champions.
During his sophomore season, which he spent with the Cincinnati Bearcats, Thiam averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.
Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam will take a visit to Michigan on Monday, a source tells @247Sports.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 19, 2026
Ranks as the No. 12 overall transfer in the portal. Visited St. John’s earlier this week. https://t.co/QvAdJ5Kjvm pic.twitter.com/qUFphgn0J1
During his freshman season with the UCF Knights, Thiam averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 0.7 assists, and 0.5 steals per game. So, not only was he good during his first year of collegiate basketball, but he also showed exponential growth during his sophomore season.
So far, Michigan and St. John's are the programs to officially extend an offer in Thiam's direction, and based on his visits, as well as experts' opinions, it truly seems as though the Wolverines and the Red Storm are the only teams that the elite center is considering.
While Michigan's transfer class only features Estrella so far, May's work in the portal is far from finished. Not to mention, the Wolverines' recruiting class of 2026 ranks fifth in the country, featuring blue-chip prospects like five-star combo guard Brandon McCoy.
Add us as a preferred source on Google