With Kentucky coach John Calipari, North Carolina coach Roy Williams and Texas coach Shaka Smart among those on hand, Mohamed Bamba put on a Hassan Whiteside-like show on Sunday at the Hoophall Classic.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — With Kentucky coach John Calipari, North Carolina coach Roy Williams and Texas coach Shaka Smart among those on hand, Mohamed Bamba put on a Hassan Whiteside-like show on Sunday at the Hoophall Classic.
The 7-foot junior from Harlem went for a triple-double of 13 points, 16 rebounds and 10 blocks as Westtown (Pa.) dominated Udoka Azubuike and Potters House Christian (FL), 53-35, by outscoring the Florida school 35-7 in the second half.
Bamba said he was especially motivated to go against Azubuike, who postponed his scheduled college announcement from Sunday. The 6-11 Azubuike is considering North Carolina, Kansas and Florida State. Kansas assistant Jerrance Howard was also on hand. Through his coach, Azubuike (6 points, 9 rebounds) declined to speak with reporters following the game.
“Definitely, definitely. There’s no other better challenge because Udoka is very strong, very big,” Bamba, ranked the No. 5 player in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports.com, said of facing Azubuike.
Bamba had only 2 points at the half when Westtown trailed 28-18.
“I don’t know what happened [in the second half] but something triggered with the team and we put everything we we had out there,” Bamba said.
Even when his offense isn’t flowing, Bamba uses his 7-foot-8 wingspan to alter and block shots in the paint.
“I do it as much as I can all the time,” he said.
Bamba holds offers from virtually every major program in the nation, including Kentucky and Duke but excluding North Carolina, but won’t take visits until beginning in August.
“We will wait until during the July live period to see who’s making him a priority,” Terrance “Munch” Williams, the director of the PSA Cardinals, told SNYtv.
Bamba says he wants to be a stretch four going college. He handled the ball at times during the game and also shot a 3-pointer, which he missed.
“During my whole AAU career, I’ve been dribbling the ball up in case the point guard is in trouble,” he said.
Bamba said he wasn’t focused on Calipari being there but said he is well aware of Kentucky’s history.
“They’re a great program, they’re one of the best in the country and it’s a great offer to have and it’s the school that I’m going to really look into,” he said. “They’re on my list.”
Williams, North Carolina’s head man, has seen Bamba at least twice now, but hasn’t yet offered.
“They’re a school that hasn’t offered yet, but I’m looking forward to getting an offer from them,” Bamba said.
He has also been linked to Duke and said he craved an offer from them last summer before it came.
“They came to a few games,” he said of Duke.
Now there is talk of him potentially joining forces with fellow 2017 big man Wendell Carter with the Blue Devils.
“Outside of basketball Wendell is a great kid,” Bamba said. “He’s a kid who I would be best friends with, or good friends with, but playing with him would be great. Not only would it be good playing with him, but it would make the game much easier.”
He added: “I haven’t talked to him about playing together yet.”
He won’t take any visits until later this summer.
“Probably after AAU season in August,” he said. “Right now I’m just talking to schools and sort of getting a feel for them.”
BRANDON RANDOLPH’S STOCK ON THE RISE
Brandon Randolph, a 6-foot-6 guard from Westtown, continues to see his stock rise after he played well in front of a slew of coaches.
The Yonkers, N.Y., native, scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half.
Randolph holds offers from Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, Vanderbilt, VCU, Quinnipiac, Manhattan, George Washington, James Madison and Hofstra, with interest from Kansas, North Carolina, Marquette, Xavier, Maryland, Georgetown, St. Joe’s and Oregon State.
“They’re all equal right now and I think that’s fantastic,” he told SNY.tv. “I think I bring offense and defense, I’ll fit into any college.”
“He’s a high Division 1 player who will play from Day One on the campus he lands on,” Munch Williams said. “Basketball will be a profession for a long time. He’s one of the few big shooting guards in the country at 6-6 and scores the ball from all three levels. Needless to say, he’s a handful.”
