Michigan basketball has a new frontcourt trio following the addition of three transfers.
The Wolverines have formally welcomed J. P. Estrella (Tennessee), Jalen Reed (LSU), and Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) to the 2026-27 squad, all of whom have prior experience.
It’s all part of U-M retooling its frontcourt after losing a significant amount of production from its national championship squad.
Estrella was a crucial player for Tennessee, which Michigan defeated 95-62 in Chicago to reach the Final Four. The 6-foot-11 forward from Scarborough, Maine, scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds in the game, and has two years of eligibility remaining.
According to Michigan coach Dusty May, J. P. adds size, endurance, and tremendous energy to our frontcourt. He understands what it takes to win at a high level and plays the game properly. He runs the floor, rebounds, fights on every possession, and provides us with a powerful presence around the basket.
Importantly, he is a terrific teammate who fits precisely with what we are creating here.
Estrella appeared in 33 games, averaging 10 points and 5. 4 rebounds in 18. 3 minutes per game, with 13 starts and 19 games with 10 or more points. Estrella established herself as a power down low, shooting 60. 4% on 2-pointers and having the eighth best offensive rebounding rate (17. 3%) in the country.
Estrella is expected to start at power forward, while Thiam is almost certain to start at center. Thiam was recognized honorable mention All-Big 12 last season after playing 31 games for Cincinnati. He finished second on the team in scoring (12. 8 points per game) and rebounding (7. 1 rebounds per game), while leading the Bearcats with 50 blocked shots, the second consecutive season with at least 50 blocks.
The 7-foot-2 center scored ten or more points 21 times, including four games with at least 20 points, three of which were excellent in February. One of them was a 28-point, eight-rebound performance in a road victory over No. 8 Kansas.
Thiam led the Big 12 and finished seventh in the country in blocks per game (2. 59) as a freshman at UCF, placing fourth in the country with 88 total blocks while breaking a UCF rookie record.
In a statement, May said that they were very delighted about Moustapha. You won’t find many players of his size who can move as well as he does. He protects the rim, rebounds, runs the floor, and alters the game defensively. He’s still improving, thus we’re ready to get to work.
After suffering injuries for two seasons, Reed joined the class as a secret addition. Reed started LSU’s first eight games of 2024-25, averaging a career-high 11. 1 points and 6. 5 rebounds while shooting 60. 4 percent from the field before tearing his ACL.
He returned in 2025-26 and averaged 9. 5 points and 5. 7 rebounds while shooting 57. 1 percent from the field in six games before suffering a season-ending Achilles ailment. Prior to that, Reed appeared in 65 games as an underclassman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with 33 starts.
Despite the obstacles of the previous two years, Jalen will contribute expertise, grit, and a physical presence to our frontcourt, May said in a statement. He has demonstrated that he can perform at a high level, and having someone with that experience is critical to our program.
The three are expected to share the majority of the frontcourt minutes, along with Oscar Goodman and incoming freshman Quinn Costello, who may play some wing but also the 4 in a smaller lineup.
The group will face the difficult challenge of attempting to replace the finest frontcourt in the country last year, which was led by Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. , and Aday Mara, all of whom are expected to be first-round selections in ESPN’s latest mock draft.
