Moustapha Thiam is one of the best players available in the transfer portal and based on recent developments, he's one target Michigan basketball needs to land.
The 7-foot-2 big man who played two seasons for Cincinnati, who would step into a starting role for the Wolverines, visited earlier this week on Monday.
Michigan was "feeling good" about where things stood after that visit, according to Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press. But now, the Wolverines are waiting, with other programs like St. John's, Kansas, and Arkansas also in the mix.
If you didn't know, those are three of the biggest NIL spenders in college basketball. Garcia posted that Michigan was "trying to hold off" the other programs, which sounds like the Wolverines have the lead or did at one time, but the farther away these things get from the visit, the less likely a commitment seems.
Moustapha Thiam update is less than favorable for Michigan basketball
The Wolverines have already experienced that with Juke Harris, the 6-foot-7 wing from Wake Forest. Michigan was projected to land him after his visit, but he also met with North Carolina and Tennessee. Now, things are at a standstill. A decision is expected soon. That's been the case for over a week.
Thiam might be even more important, considering what the Wolverines could lose in the frontcourt. Yaxel Lendeborg has no more eligibility. Aday Mara is expected to leave for the NBA draft, and Garcia reported on Wednesday that Johnson is likely to enter the NBA draft, too.
J.P. Estrella, the transfer from Tennessee, would likely fill one of those spots. Thiam could fill the other. Hopefully, Harris would come, too. He'd be a great replacement for Yax with his scoring ability (21.4 ppg). He was also fourth in the ACC in defensive rebounds and seventh overall in the league in boards.
It feels like Michigan made a positive impression with Thiam, just as it did with Harris, but the longer it goes, the harder it is to predict what will happen.
Add us as a preferred source on Google