ESPN released their yearly "way too early" 2026 NBA mock draft, which featured Bearcats center, Moustapha Thiam, who just transferred in from UCF after his freshman season.
Thiam was the No. 13 transfer in the portal this season and opted to join the Bearcats. He stands at 7-foot-2, 235 pounds, and has a 7-foot-7 wingspan. Thiam averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, including a surprising ability to stretch the floor, shooting 29.1% from 3-point range. Thiam did all this over 34 games in his true freshman season.
Thiam is ranked as the No. 43 player in the ESPN 2026 mock draft, while also being at No. 9 for players in the Big 12. At the moment, Thiam is set as a mid-second round pick, but will likely take a huge jump going into his sophomore year of college basketball. Thiam will play a similar role to Aziz Bandago, a lob threat and rim protector. He is thought to make more of an impact due to his athleticism and ability to stretch the floor, something that held Bandago back at times.
Thiam could rise as high as a lottery pick, according to some mock drafts that include him as well. A mock draft by NBAdraftpoint has Moustapha Thiam as the No. 23 prospect for next year's draft.
WAY TOO EARLY 2026 BIG BOARD 1.0
— nbadraftpoint (@nbadraftpoint) June 27, 2025
With the 2025 cycle done, the next one begins with one of the strongest groups of talent in recent memory. Obviously, things are going to change, so here are 30 players I like going into next year !! pic.twitter.com/TA9uBcTore
Thiam will be the most important transfer on the Bearcats next season, and if he plays well, we can see him as the first Bearcat drafted since Jacob Evans III in 2018.