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CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 17: Moustapha Thiam #52 of the Cincinnati Bearcats dribbles the ball as he is guarded by Dominykas Pleta #21 of the Iowa State Cyclones in the first half at Fifth Third Arena on January 17, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michigan Basketball got some much-needed good news on the roster retention front, as center Moustapha Thiam will remain with the Wolverines for the 2026-27 season despite Dusty May’s departure to the Dallas Mavericks.
Thiam was one of the most coveted big men in the transfer portal this offseason. His decision to stay in Ann Arbor is a significant early win for interim head coach Mike Boynton Jr., who has spent the past week meeting with players, their agents and their families in an effort to keep the defending championship roster intact.
Thiam’s commitment to staying at Michigan cannot be overstated. With Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. all now in the NBA, the Wolverines lost their entire starting front court in one offseason. Thiam was brought in specifically to help fill that void, and his decision to stick around gives Michigan a legitimate anchor in the post heading into next season.
He brings the kind of size (7-foot-2, 250 pounds) and skillset that allows Michigan to continue running the style of offense May built over the past two seasons. Without Thiam, the Wolverines would have been scrambling to find a starting 5 at a time of year when the options are severely limited. Tennessee transfer JP Estrella likely would be the next guy up, but he also has not reaffirmed his commitment to the program as of this writing.
Thiam’s announcement is the latest positive development for Boynton and Michigan in what has been a turbulent week since May’s departure. The Wolverines have already secured verbal commitments from guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney, the two most important players on the roster, and now Thiam becomes the first of the transfer class to publicly commit to staying.
Michigan’s players have until July 24 before the transfer portal opens for the full roster, giving Boynton and his staff a narrow but workable window to lock down the remaining players on the team. Every commitment that comes in before that date should be considered a huge win, and Thiam’s decision to stay sends a message to the rest of the roster that Michigan is still a program worth being at despite the unfortunate circumstances.
The Wolverines entered this offseason as the defending national champions with one of the most talented rosters in the country. Piece by piece, Boynton is working to make sure that roster stays together. And he took another significant step in the right direction with Thiam’s re-commitment.
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