The Michigan Wolverines are fresh off winning their program's second national championship. It capped off an impressive season in which they went 37-3 and were also crowned the Big Ten regular-season champions.
However, head coach Dusty May and his staff didn't have much time to celebrate before diving into the transfer portal. Michigan already made a big splash by landing former Tennessee Volunteers forward J.P. Estrella.
That's been their only addition, though, and after landing four players in last year's cycle, they are struggling to repeat that same success. Luckily for the Wolverines, they may be on the cusp of landing one of the top players to hit the portal.
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On Monday, On3's Joe Tipton released an article predicting that Michigan will receive a commitment from former Cincinnati Bearcats center Moustapha Thiam.
"He’s already been to St. John’s and will now make the trip to Ann Arbor to visit the reigning champion Michigan on Monday," Tipton wrote. "With the recent success Dusty May has had with bigs, I think they will have a good shot at landing him if they make a big push."
Thiam put together an impressive sophomore season with the Bearcats. He started 31 games, averaging 12.8 points (career-high), 7.1 rebounds (career-high) and 0.5 assists. He also shot 52.5% from the field and 28.8% from beyond the three-point line.
With two more years of eligibility, On3 Industry Rankings list him as the No. 13 player and the No. 3 center to hit the transfer portal this offseason. With an NIL valuation of $1.8 million, he's also one of the most valuable players in college basketball.
While Thiam continues to weigh his options, Michigan is looking to replenish any talent lost in the portal. Bringing in Thiam alongside Estrella would help the Wolverines break even. Their only losses come from forward Winters Grady (Minnesota Golden Gophers) and center Malick Kordel.
