Michigan has already found a new way to lean on Moustapha Thiam.
The junior center arrived in Ann Arbor with the reputation of a defensive anchor - the kind of long, athletic big man who could help steady a revamped frontcourt. But in the early going, it’s his offense that has grabbed the attention.
Not just the points, either. It’s how often coach Mike Boynton Jr. is putting the ball in Thiam’s hands.
“I would just say I’m more involved,” Thiam said Thursday at Michigan Media Day. “They’re playing through me and (senior forward J.P. Estrella) a lot.”
That’s a different kind of role from what Thiam showed last season at Cincinnati, where he averaged 12.8 points per game and emerged as one of the portal’s more appealing frontcourt options. The scoring was there, and so was the possibility of stretching the floor. But most of his production came in the familiar way for a 7-foot-2 center: rim runs, finishes around the basket and damage created by sheer size.
Michigan got a taste of that immediately. Thiam scored right away off the opening tip against Eastern Michigan, finishing a lob from senior guard Elliot Cadeau.
Since then, he’s shown he can punish teams in the low post, too. He’s also getting to the line at a strong rate, with 18 free throws attempted in the Wolverines’ first two exhibitions.
What stands out just as much is how Michigan is using him beyond the block. Boynton has spent part of preseason putting Thiam at the nail as a decision-maker, with Cadeau and sophomore guard Trey McKenney around him. It’s a different look for a player who averaged only 0.5 assists per game last season, but the early results have been solid: eight assists against two turnovers.
“(Thiam) is playing in a system like this for the first time where he’s being asked to be a decision maker and be a hub, but the skill set is there to do it,” Boynton said Friday. “With more reps, it’ll become more natural to him.”
The chemistry has shown up in the little things, too. Thiam has looked comfortable both as a screener and as a live option on the ball, and that has been especially true with Michigan’s guards.
“Me and (Cadeau) have tried to be more conscious of being closer to (Thiam),” McKenney said Thursday at Michigan Media Day. “I think we’ve done a good job of just making him more comfortable and him making us more comfortable.”
Still, the spacing piece may be the biggest swing factor for Michigan. Thiam’s size already bends defenses, but the Wolverines need opponents to treat him like a real shooting threat for that to fully matter.
Last season, he took 1.6 3-pointers per game and hit 28.8% of them. This preseason, the willingness has been there - including six attempts against Oregon State - and that’s exactly the direction Michigan wants to keep pushing.
“We’re very comfortable with (Thiam) shooting a 3-pointer late,” Boynton said Oct. 11. “Most of the time, he’s going to rather that than his mid-range turnaround.”
For Michigan, the appeal is obvious. A 7-foot-2 center who can score at the rim, pass from the middle and at least force defenders to respect him on the perimeter changes the shape of an offense. If what Thiam has shown in preseason carries into the regular season, it could set him up for a breakout year.
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