Michigan took the court in the Mike Boynton era for the first time on Sunday to start off its 2026 Summer Tour. The Wolverines took on the Lithuanian National Team in an exhibition, and while there was a lot to love, not everything went well for Boynton and Co.
The Wolverines will take the court as the reigning National Champions this season for the first time since 1989, but this team will look vastly different from last season. Not only did Michigan lose its entire frontcourt to the NBA, but it also lost head coach Dusty May and brought in a load of transfer portal players along with a strong freshman class.
The new faces for the Wolverines showed out in the 96-84 loss, but there is cause for concern for Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam. The 7-foot-2 Senegal native played only a few minutes before he went down in the first quarter with an apparent low leg/knee injury.
Here’s the play where Michigan center Moustapha Thiam was injured against Lithuania pic.twitter.com/PAYXOMSn9E
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) August 23, 2026
It appears that when going for an offensive rebound, point guard Elliot Cadeau came down and rolled up on Thiam's leg, causing it to bend backwards in an awkward way. Thiam stayed on the ground for a few minutes before being helped off the court. There was no update given on the status of Thiam's injury.
Moustapha Thiam looked like the Aday Mara replacement Michigna needs before the injury
Thiam's injury is troublesome, even if there is hope that it is nothing serious. If the injury causes Thiam to miss time, the good news is that there are still a few months till the start of the new college basketball season.
Before Thiam went down towards the end of the first quarter, though, he looked very comfortable working in the paint. Michigan lost its biggest presence in the paint when Aday Mara chose to declare for the NBA Draft after last season, so landing Thiam out of the transfer portal was huge. Having played in the tough competition of the Big 12, Thiam showcased what made him a top transfer in the offseason.
In roughly six minutes of play, Thiam finished with six points, two rebounds, and two assists, which may not seem like a lot, but in the first bit of basketball action he has seen with his new team is pretty impressive. The connection between Thiam and Cadeau was evident on the pass and slam dunk, then again on the drive to the basket off the pass from Cadeau that had Thiam beating the defense.
This is just an exhibition, but Thiam and the rest of the new faces for Michigan looked very good and could get the fanbase excited for what is to come with the Wolverines' title defense. Thiam will be key to that defense, so hopefully the leg injury isn't too bad.
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