Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Star Could Return From Injury Against UCF

Cincinnati is trying to claw back to .500 on the season.

Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam (52) dunks against Arizona State during a game at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 24, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI —  The Bearcats basketball team won't have two members of its team due to injury against UCF, but Moustapha Thiam may be able to suit up.

He is listed as a probable for the contest after suffering an ankle injury last weekend against Houston and sitting out the Thursday loss to West Virginia.

He posted a season-high 24 points and five rebounds in the UCF defeat last month and is a huge factor toward a win today. Shon Abaev and Jalen Haynes are still out due to injury, and UC only has three true frontcourt players if Thiam can't go: Baba Miller, Halvine Dzellat, and Tyler McKinley.

"He tried to participate in shootaround, and he could not do it; he did not think he could play," UC head coach Wes Miller said about Thiam on Thursday after the 59-54 loss to WVU. "He tried to practice a little bit the last couple of days, but he couldn't really do it."

Miller kept the intensity up after the loss, as he refuses to let his team give up during the worst season of his tenure at 11-12 so far, and 0-9 away from Fifth Third Arena.

"I want to apologize to our fans and all the people who support Cincinnati basketball," Miller said. "It's not OK. I don't want for one second for people to think that I think it's OK. In this program, there's a higher standard. There's no excuse. None of the circumstances matters. We have to close games out."

Check out the action today at 2 p.m. ET airing on CBS Sports Network.

Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Injury Report | Big 12 Conference

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