ESPN Names Moustapha Thiam Among Top-25 2025 Transfer Talents

CINCINNATI — New Bearcats center Moustapha Thiam got a lot of love in ESPN's top-100 transfer player rankings. The former UCF star is ranked 24th among all transfers and second behind Henri Veesar among centers.

Thiam would probably be selected in the 2025 NBA Draft if he was eligible.

"Wes Miller had already built most of his starting lineup via the portal (and highly touted freshman Shon Abaev), but the Bearcats needed a center to replace Aziz Bandaogo," Jeff Borzello wrote. "Thiam showed he can handle being a starting center in the Big 12 and we expect him to take the next step in 2025-26. A former top-30 recruit in the 2024 class, Thiam averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks as a freshman. He showed flashes of his sky-high potential down the stretch of the season, including three double-doubles in a five-game span."

Thiam is one of the best rim protectors in the country at such a young age. Since 2008, only former Michigan State and current NBA star Jaren Jackson Jr. has also shot 75+ threes and notched over a 9% block rate in their freshman seasons (Thiam went 29.1% from deep).

If Thiam hits his ceiling this coming season, Cincinnati will be a monster to deal with on both ends of the floor.

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