UCF transfer C Moustapha Thiam commits to Cincinnati

Former UCF center Moustapha Thiam has signed with Cincinnati out of the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Pete Nakos has learned. Thiam originally entered the transfer portal on April 16.

Thiam is a former four-star recruit, who committed to the Knights out of high school last offseason. The 7 foot 1 big man was the No. 59 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and the No. 9 center in his class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.

He went on to average 10.4 points (49.8% FG, 29.1% 3PT), 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game in that opportunity for the Knights as the team’s leader in blocks and field-goal percentage while being second in rebounding and fourth in scoring. The blocks per game were also top-ten nationally and were the most by any player in a power conference.

Thiam will join a Bearcats program coming off a season where they finished 19-16 overall, including a 7-13 record against Big Ten competition. Cincinnati finished its season in the second round of the College Basketball Crown.

Ironically, they lost to Thiam and the UCF Knights in that matchup. Thiam scored 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting. The 7-footer even knocked down a 3-pointer during the matchup. He added five rebounds across 30 minutes on the court.

The most impressive outing of his true freshman campaign came on Feb. 23 against Utah when Thiam matched his career high of 18 points while also hauling in nine rebounds during a 76-72 win. At the time, it snapped a six-game losing streak during Big 12 action. He went on to score in double figures in 20 of his 34 appearances on the season. He also hauled in double digit rebounds in six matchups this past season, with three of those coming as double-doubles. He will look to improve on his numbers with the Bearcats during the 2025-26 season.

The transfer portal wire provides a real-time feed of player activity, including basic player profile information, transfer portal ranking and original On3 Industry recruiting ranking, as well as NIL valuation (name, image and likeness).

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.