UCF basketball’s 7-foot-2 program pillar is exploring other options. According to reports Wednesday afternoon, Moustapha Thiam entered the transfer portal .

The freshman center started 34 games in his first season in Orlando. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, helping the Knights to a 20-17 record and the finals of the inaugural College Basketball Crown .

Thiam joined the Knights as their highest-rated basketball signee ever, per 247Sports’ composite scores. Originally a member of the 2025 recruiting class, he reclassified last June, arriving at UCF one year early.

The 19-year-old is a native of Dakar, Senegal. He spent one year at DME Academy in Daytona Beach before jumping to the college ranks.

With UCF’s roster featuring limited frontcourt depth, Thiam filled a need. He made an immediate impact, especially on defense. His 2.6 blocks per game cracked the top 10 nationally and were the most by any player in a power conference.

On offense, Thiam showed up raw but developed nicely throughout the season. He reached a double-digit point total in only one of his first six games. After that, he accomplished the feat 18 times in his final 28. He finished with a team-best shooting percentage of 49.8%.

In the Crown championship game against Nebraska, he tallied nine points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Thiam becomes the latest Knight to hit the portal. Ten other UCF players have submitted their names and looked for new destinations.

The full list: Jordan Ivy-Curry, Keyshawn Hall, Nils Machowski, Jaylin Sellers, Tyler Hendricks, Mikey Williams, Rokas Jocius, Cameron Simpson, JJ Taylor and Dior Johnson.

Johnny Dawkins’ squad has also made six additions: Mississippi State’s Riley Kugel, Georgetown’s Jordan Burks, Hampton’s George Beale Jr., Milwaukee’s Themus Fulks and Jamichael Stillwell and Ole Miss’ John Bol.