This Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball player has had a huge offseason

Sophomore center Moustapha Thiam speaks during a press conference at the University of Cincinnati on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.
Sophomore center Moustapha Thiam speaks during a press conference at the University of Cincinnati on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bearcats got the No. 11 player in this years transfer portal , Moustapha Thiam, after just one season at the University of Central Florida, another Big 12 school.

Thiam has a sensational freshman season at UCF averaging 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks and is looking to build on that success. Thiam on Tuesday afternoon's press conference mentioned that he has gained 20-25 pounds this offseason, putting him at 7-foot-2, 255 pounds, size that the Bearcats have needed at the center position for years.

Despite being a seven-footer, Thiam shot 29.1% from three-point-range last season, making 23 of his 79 attempts last season. Thiam hopefully shoots the three a little better but it great to have a shooting threat as a big, something the Bearcats didn't have last season with Dillon Mitchell or Aziz Bandago.

Thiam paired along with FAU transfer Baba Miller makes for a big-man duo Cincinnati hasn't seen since Gary Clark and Kyle Washington. Wes Miller is trying to bring back the Bearcats identity in the paint and they give them the best shot of doing that in quite some time.

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