5-star recruit Mohamed Bamba commits to Texas
By Chris Stone
Mohamed Bamba will make a big impact at Texas.
Shaka Smart has landed his replacement for former 5-star recruit Jarrett Allen. 2017 5-star prospect Mohamed Bamba committed to the Texas Longhorns on Thursday morning via an article in The Players’ Tribune.
Bamba is the No. 2-ranked recruit in the 247Sports‘ Composite Rankings and he was the top rated prospect left on the board. With him in the fold, Texas jumped to No. 7 in the site’s composite team rankings. He chose the school over Duke and Kentucky.
The 7-footer made note of the relationship that he established with Smart while playing for USA Basketball last summer, “Coach Smart may not have been aware of it, but I put him through a weeklong job interview last summer when he coached me on Team USA.” He cited that dynamic as one of they key factors in choosing the Longhorns.
Bamba is also concerned with how his academic interests mesh with Texas. The big man has a reputation for being one of the most interesting players in recent history. For example, he took a trip to the Sloan Analytics Conference simply to dive into the game of basketball more deeply.
Bamba will bring a much needed presence in Austin. With Allen off to the NBA, the Longhorns needed a player on the interior who could protect the rim. Bamba, with his 7-foot-8 wingspan, should be one of the best rim protectors in all of college basketball next season. He is also a capable defender on the perimeter, possessing the type of lateral mobility that eludes most other players his size.
The key for Bamba as a college prospect will be figuring out how he can make an impact on the offensive end. In the long run, the 19-year-old will be a dangerous pick-and-roll weapon with some potential to develop a jump shot, but right now his feel for the game is still developing.
That shouldn’t concern Smart and his staff, though. Bamba will immediately be one of the best defensive players in college basketball and in a conference as tough in the Big 12, that matters. This is a huge get for the Longhorns.