While it is not official whether every single player who hits the NCAA Transfer Portal is really trying to leave for a better fit, or leverage for something more at their current stop, there is no denying that the Kansas Basketball team is in some slight trouble.
Of the qualifying players on the team right now, the Jayhawks currently have two guards, Corbin Allen and Kohl Rosario. Everyone else is either entering the portal, probably going to the NBA, or likely out of eligibility.
All this means is that Bill Self and his staff have to use their funds wisely for Self’s 24th year at the helm, and they have an opportunity from their own conference to take a big step forward.
Why Moustapha Thiam would be a great start to Kansas’ portal class
The Cincinnati transfer stands at 7-foot-2, 235 pounds and just completed one of the strongest seasons in a stacked Big 12.
Thiam averaged 12.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks as Cincinnati finished Wes Miller’s final season at the helm with an overtime exit to UCF in the Big 12 Tournament.
The biggest question mark over this Kansas team right now revolves around who will step in to fill the gap that the departing Flory Bidunga will leave, and if Kansas can acquire Thiam, that will be a huge relief to Kansas fans.
Against KU this season, Thiam and Baba Miller ran rampant on the Jayhawks, leading to a shock 84-68 Bearcat win inside Allen Fieldhouse, where Thiam put up 28 points and eight rebounds as Miller drew up an offensive clinic inside the pain that opposition teams would feast on until the season’s end.
By no means is Thiam the perfect player; his offensive input hit various peaks and valleys, and his game score metric measures out to 10.3, which means he is slightly above what John Hollinger describes as “average.” But Thiam will only be a junior, meaning there are still two years for him to flourish under Self, the same way Bidunga did from year one to year two.
Thiam is currently ranked as the nation’s 10th-best transfer prospect and third-best center, meaning there is real upside that the Jayhawks should consider forking up for.
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