Now that the NBA draft withdrawl deadline has come and gone, college basketball teams have a better idea of what's available in the transfer portal.
From a Michigan basketball perspective, that's important because the Wolverines still have one roster spot to fill. There was some discussion about whether Dusty May would fill that spot, but Chris Balas of The Wolverine said in a recent podcast that the spot will be filled.
The question is by who?
There aren't many options in the transfer portal. The biggest name, a former Iowa State standout, Milan Momcilovic, committed to Kentucky. That always felt like a pipe dream. He probably would have had a tough time transferring all of his credits anyway.
However, there is another target Michigan basketball has been linked to, who is still available, former Cal Poly guard/wing Hamad Mousa.
Michigan basketball is linked to a target still available in transfer portal
The 6-foot-8 Big West All-Conference standout led the league with 20.7 points per game after scoring just 1.3 in 20 games as a freshman with Dayton. There is a lot to like about Mousa. He's got tons of tools. He shoots the ball well, making 37.2 percent of his 3-pointers (2.6 makes per game) on 7.2 attempts.
Mousa shot 44.3 percent from the field overall. He also averaged two assists per game and shot 51 percent on twos with 6.3 rebounds per game, to go along with 1.1 offensive rebounds.
There is a ton of upside. We all know how well May does with players like that. He was able to get the most out of Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, and Yaxel Lendeborg. Certainly, he would be able to mold Mousa into a Big Ten contributor, but there are some holes, especially on defense.
Mousa is thin-framed. He would have to put on some weight for the Big Ten. That would help him be a better defender. Michigan's staff would help develop him on the defensive side of the ball, so this is a name to watch moving forward.
With a new assistant coach hire who has ties to the international game, don't be surprised if Michigan dips its toe into international waters to fill that final spot. Mousa makes a lot of sense, though. He would upgrade the bench right away, and add a high-volume 3-point shooter.
It would be a leap to put him into the starting lineup, because Brandon McCoy feels like a much better defender. However, 20-point-per-game scorers in college basketball, even in the Big West, are not to be taken lightly. If Michigan could bring him off the bench, it would shore that up from being a potential weakness, while giving May another high-upside player for this season, and next.
If feekls like Michigan needs another piece; Hamad Mousa might just be it.
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