Bamba a candidate for No. 1
POTOMAC & HYATTSVILLE, Md. -- On the third and final day of the 2015 DC area trip, stops were made at the Bullis Holiday Classic and the National Hoops Festival. Could 2017 five-star big man Mohamed Bamba (above) be underrated and just how stacked is his team?
I was impressed by ...
Is it possible that near seven-foot tall junior Mohamed Bamba of the Westtown (Pa.) School is underrated at No. 5 in the class of 2017? That's the question I kept asking myself while watching him lead what is a pretty loaded team.
The question is one that has been weighing on my mind since I saw Bamba play in October at the USA Basketball Fall Developmental Camp. Watching him swat shots, rebound everything in site and dunk with impunity in the championship game of the Bullis Holiday Classic, I couldn't help but think that Bamba could ultimately contest for the top spot in the class.
Being courted by the likes of Duke, Kentucky, Syracuse, Maryland, Connecticut, Indiana and many more, Bamba is improving at a remarkable pace. Formerly just a long and athletic kid with "upside", he now has legitimate jump shooting ability to 15 feet, he passes well, his jump hook is coming along and he's becoming much more physically strong.
It certainly doesn't hurt that Bamba benefits from playing on a team blessed with size, talent and athleticism. Running the point is physically tough 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior Jair Bolden, who rarely makes mistakes. Surrounding him are fast rising junior wings Najja Hunter and Brandon Randolph, who are both in the 6-foot-6 range along with 2018 five-star wing Cameron Reddish, a top 10 prospect in his class who has grown to around 6-foot-7.
Already a three-star prospect, Hunter had himself a nice outing. An athletic driver, he surprised with some outside jump shooting and his overall aggression. New to Rivals.com, Randolph is a thin shooting guard with a pretty stroke. He's a rangy ball handler who looks really similar to UNLV's breakout sophomore Patrick McCaw. So far, Randolph has offers from VCU, Manhattan, George Washington and Hofstra but high major offers should be coming shortly with Maryland, St. Joseph's, Quinnipiac, Oregon State, Virginia, Temple and many more getting involved.
Though a bit passive by nature at times, Reddish continues to show huge upside. He looks a little bigger each time out, has a very clean looking jumper and he's developing into a high end athlete on top of everything else.
Not official, but Mo Bamba with roughly 17,000 blocked shots or disruptions after one half. 2017 wing Brandon Randolph impressive shooter.— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) December 13, 2015
I was surprised by ...
A day after they won in a thrilling matchup of two teams stacked with talent, I was surprised by how out of sync Dallas (Texas) API looked in a loss to Ft. Washington (Md.) National Christian. Five-star point guard Trevon Duval had his best individual game since transferring to API with 28 points, seven rebounds and four assists, but his team never really looked into it as they trailed for the majority of the loss.
Of course, a huge reason for that was the spirited play of National Christian who was led by Georgia Tech signee Christian Matthews. A lean and athletic 6-foot-6 combo forward with a great motor, Matthews was very active around the rim and in transition while scoring 25 points and grabbing eight rebounds. He plays with great energy and if he can iron out his jumper and free throw shooting (just 6-17 from the free throw line) while putting on some weight, he can help Tech sooner than later.
Not surprisingly, WashingtonClick Other thoughts ...Here to view this Link.-bound five-star shooting guard Markelle FultzClick Other thoughts ...Here to view this Link. looked like the top 15 player he is on Sunday. The more he takes the floor, the more he reminds of a young Brad Beal with his skilled scoring, feel for the pull-up jumper and athleticism around the rim in the open floor. He's playing a lot of point guard for DeMatha and his passing is quite notable.
A Rivals150 player in the class of 2017, three-star big man Ejike ObinnaClick His Potomac (Md.) Bullis squad took the loss, but junior shooting guard Chyree WalkerClick Whether he has to replace current point guard Melo Trimble right off the bat or gets to learn under him for a year, Maryland-bound point guard Anthony CowanClick Finally for DeMatha, keep an eye out for three-star junior big man Josh Carlton. He doesn't get a lot of chances just yet as a scorer, but he's got a sturdy 6-foot-8 frame, battles on the interior and pounds the glass. On size and willingness to rebound alone, he'll draw lots of upper-mid to high-major attention.Here to view this Link. looks to be ready. A top 50 prospect, Cowan has added noticeable strength and was a monster in all areas of the game. He shot well from deep, got to the rim, dished and defended while racking up 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists without committing a turnover as Washington (D.C.) St. John's took out Goretti.Here to view this Link. is a tough customer. At 6-foot-4, he can shoot well from deep, is a good passer and plays a cerebral game. Georgia Tech and UAB have extended offers while some others including Maryland and Virginia (both watched on Sunday) are hanging out and keeping tabs on his recruitment.Here to view this Link. looks the part at around 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds. He played very hard, crashed the glass and showed competitive spirit in his Virginia Academy squad's loss to Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha on Sunday. However, he also struggled mightily to finish and had a really tough day shooting the ball. Some of it looked to be mechanics, some just rushing things and the home standing DeMatha team also got away with hacking him a few times. The size and tools are all there, though, and his spot in the rankings looks safe. VanderbiltClick His Potomac (Md.) Bullis squad took the loss, but junior shooting guard Chyree WalkerClick Whether he has to replace current point guard Melo Trimble right off the bat or gets to learn under him for a year, Maryland-bound point guard Anthony CowanClick Finally for DeMatha, keep an eye out for three-star junior big man Josh Carlton. He doesn't get a lot of chances just yet as a scorer, but he's got a sturdy 6-foot-8 frame, battles on the interior and pounds the glass. On size and willingness to rebound alone, he'll draw lots of upper-mid to high-major attention.Here to view this Link. looks to be ready. A top 50 prospect, Cowan has added noticeable strength and was a monster in all areas of the game. He shot well from deep, got to the rim, dished and defended while racking up 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists without committing a turnover as Washington (D.C.) St. John's took out Goretti.Here to view this Link. is a tough customer. At 6-foot-4, he can shoot well from deep, is a good passer and plays a cerebral game. Georgia Tech and UAB have extended offers while some others including Maryland and Virginia (both watched on Sunday) are hanging out and keeping tabs on his recruitment.Here to view this Link. was on hand to watch him on Sunday with an assistant and head coach Kevin StallingsClick His Potomac (Md.) Bullis squad took the loss, but junior shooting guard Chyree WalkerClick Whether he has to replace current point guard Melo Trimble right off the bat or gets to learn under him for a year, Maryland-bound point guard Anthony CowanClick Finally for DeMatha, keep an eye out for three-star junior big man Josh Carlton. He doesn't get a lot of chances just yet as a scorer, but he's got a sturdy 6-foot-8 frame, battles on the interior and pounds the glass. On size and willingness to rebound alone, he'll draw lots of upper-mid to high-major attention.Here to view this Link. looks to be ready. A top 50 prospect, Cowan has added noticeable strength and was a monster in all areas of the game. He shot well from deep, got to the rim, dished and defended while racking up 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists without committing a turnover as Washington (D.C.) St. John's took out Goretti.Here to view this Link. is a tough customer. At 6-foot-4, he can shoot well from deep, is a good passer and plays a cerebral game. Georgia Tech and UAB have extended offers while some others including Maryland and Virginia (both watched on Sunday) are hanging out and keeping tabs on his recruitment.Here to view this Link. watching him play.
Earlier in the day, Stallings also watched Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI point guard Aaron Thompson. After seeing him again, Stallings extended an offer to the three-star point guard from the class of 2017.
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