Michigan Retains Key Center
Star Transfer Moustapha Thiam Commits to Stay at Michigan Amid Coaching Transition
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Key Points
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Thiam stands nearly 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, a size profile described as massive even by NBA standards and projected to be a rim-protecting, versatile big who can impact the game defensively and on the glass.
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Thiam started 31 games for Cincinnati this season, signaling a prominent, starter-level role in the Bearcats’ frontcourt.
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Defensively, Thiam posted 50 blocks this season and added 9 double-doubles, along with multiple double-figure scoring games, underscoring his rim protection and versatility.
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Analyst Adam Finkelstein with 247Sports highlighted Thiam as a huge athlete with upside as a modern big who can guard multiple positions and potentially stretch the floor, contributing to his early NBA Draft projection in 2027.
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As a freshman at UCF in 2024-25, Thiam averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, providing a baseline for his development before arriving at Michigan.
Despite losing head coach Dusty May to the Dallas Mavericks, Michigan basketball has kept its most important frontcourt piece. Moustapha Thiam, a 7-foot-2 center who transferred from Cincinnati, confirmed he will stay with the Wolverines for the 2026-27 season, according to CBS Sports. The decision came during a 15-day transfer portal window triggered by May's departure — and Thiam chose to stay.
Thiam averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for Cincinnati this past season. He posted 50 blocks and 9 double-doubles. CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein called the retention of Thiam and guard Elliot Cadeau "monumental," saying Michigan has preserved a "preseason Top-5 roster" despite losing its head coach.
Dusty May Leaves Michigan for the NBA
On June 22, 2026, Dusty May resigned as Michigan's head coach to take over the Dallas Mavericks, according to Sports Illustrated. The move was seismic. May became the first coach since Larry Brown in 1988 to win a national title and immediately jump to the NBA, per CBS Sports. May had just led Michigan to a 37-3 record and an NCAA Championship, defeating UConn 69-63 on April 6.
Athletic Director Warde Manuel moved quickly. He appointed assistant Mike Boynton Jr. as interim head coach the same morning May announced his exit. Manuel said in a statement: "With summer workouts starting this week, Mike Boynton has been appointed head coach in an interim capacity to provide immediate continuity." Rivals like LSU and Kentucky were reportedly circling Michigan's top players almost immediately, according to SI.com.
Thiam's Size and Stats Make Him Irreplaceable
Thiam stands 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and weighs 250 pounds. 247Sports ranks him No. 13 overall in the 2026 transfer portal and the No. 3 center in the class. Analyst Adam Finkelstein at 247Sports called Thiam a "modern-day big" who can guard multiple positions and stretch the floor. Finkelstein projects him as the No. 28 pick in his early 2027 NBA Mock Draft.
Thiam's stats show steady growth. As a freshman at UCF in 2024-25, he averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. He then transferred to Cincinnati, where his scoring rose to 12.8 points per game. He started 31 of his games as a Bearcat. He still has two years of eligibility left, per Detroit News.
Guards Cadeau and McKenney Also Staying in Ann Arbor
Thiam is not the only key player who chose loyalty over uncertainty. Guard Elliot Cadeau, the 2026 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, officially announced his return for his senior season on June 26, per CBS Sports. Guard Trey McKenney also indicated he will return, posting on social media: "Victors always stay." McKenney reportedly turned down contact from five or six programs within 30 minutes of May's departure.
McKenney's father, John, told Hail Media that his son pushed directly for Boynton's promotion. "Trey told Warde in no uncertain terms — I need, I want Mike Boynton," he said. That public pressure has put the AD in a tough spot, according to On3, as keeping the "interim" tag on Boynton makes recruiting harder for the 2027 class.
Michigan's Championship Hopes Stay Alive Under Boynton
With Thiam anchoring the front court and Cadeau running the backcourt, analysts still see Michigan as a title contender. CBS Sports reports that oddsmakers view the Wolverines as a "legitimate threat to go back-to-back" despite the coaching change. Thiam's 7-foot-2 frame gives Michigan the longest frontcourt in the Big Ten alongside incoming freshman Quinn Costello, who stands 6-foot-10.
The bigger question now is Boynton's title. Some Michigan boosters want a national search, pointing to his 119-109 record at Oklahoma State as a potential "ceiling," per 247Sports. But the players have already voted with their feet. Thiam's commitment is, as one report put it, the "insurance policy" Michigan needed to stay a national power after the most disruptive offseason in program history, according to SI.com.
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