Michigan basketball missed out on Juke Harris this week. It's disappointing, but it's not the end of the world.
Dusty May always has other options. New ones haven't emerged for Michigan in the transfer portal, yet. Still, May did say that the Wolverines were doing their homework on some players, indicating that they aren't done with the portal just yet after landing Moustapha Thiam, J.P. Estrella and Jalen Davis.
Hamad Mousa makes perfect sense for Michigan, Dusty May
Harris wasn't the right fit. He probably wanted a bigger role (more shots) than he could have had at Michigan, along with more money.
There are other talented options out there. Allen Graves of Santa Clara is one name Michigan fans have brought up. The 6-foot-9 forward is in the portal, but also entered the NBA draft. He's focused on the draft now, but if he returns to college, Michigan could certainly make a run; it feels like it should have the money to at least.
Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State) and Baylor forward Tounde Yessoufou are other dream options. The competition will be fierce, though, for any of those three players, if they even return to college after the NBA draft process.
However, there is another forward, Hamad Mousa, who makes sense, too. The 6-foot-8 standout, who just completed his sophomore season for Cal Poly, started 30 games, averaged 20.4 points to lead the Big West, and was an all-conference player after scoring just 1.3 points for Dayton in 2024-25.
247 lists him as a power forward. Others have him as a guard. That could make him a great fit for the vacancy at the three. Mousa is a thin 6-foot-8. He'll have to add some muscle, but he would seem to fit better on the wing in the Big Ten. He's long, similar to Yaxel Lendeborg, and made 84 3-pointers last season, while shooting 37.2 percent.
Mousa needs work defensively. His per-100-possession defensive rating was 1.11 points per possession. That was on par with Cal Poly as a team, so there's reason to believe he could be much better with Michigan. He did have 32 steals last season, but just 12 blocks.
Mousa averaged 6.3 rebounds (1.1 offensive per game). He's also a decent playmaker, averaging two assists per game, in addition to shooting 87.8 percent at the free-throw line on 6.4 attempts per game.
The rising junior made a massive leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Dayton is a level up from Cal Poly, out of the Big West. So it remains to be seen how effective he would be in the Big Ten.
It fits the mold of a Dusty May recruit in the transfer portal, though. Mousa has all the tools to be an NBA prospect. He's raw, but you can see the ability. The upside is tremendous, and if he was added, it would be a different version of the three-big lineup.
If Michigan could add to his body and make him a more impactful defender, Mousa has a really high ceiling. It doesn't seem like there is a clear favorite in his recruitment, and with Juke Harris now off the board, May could pivot to Mousa.
Some other options have been floated. Mousa is one of the best, if Michigan wants to make a move. As a sophomore, he shouldn't have an issue with transfer credits, so it all seems to line up.
There are certainly some NBA-caliber players left in the portal that May could take a swing at. But the idea of Mousa in a Michigan uniform is tantalizing, especially with the other options available.
It feels like Michigan could skip the bidding war after the NBA draft process, prioritize Mousa, and complete the starting lineup with another toolsy player who has multiple years of eligibility for May to mold him into an NBA draft pick.
If Michigan came calling, it's hard to see him saying no.
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