MORE: Could Bamba be top pick of 2018 NBA Draft? | 2017 team rankings
The class of 2017's No. 2 player, Mohamed Bamba, announced via The Players' Tribune on Thursday that he would play his college ball at Texas.
The 7-footer's decision means that shooting guard M.J. Walker and small forward Brian Bowen are the only five-star prospects who remain uncommitted from the class of 2017.
For the better part of the last two months, Bamba's recruitment looked to be a two-horse race between the Longhorns and Kentucky, while Duke and Michigan were crossing their fingers. The question is, what is the impact his choice has on those who were involved in his recruitment?
TEXAS
Impact level: 10
What Bamba's choice means: Texas already had a top 10 recruiting class and looked to be in position to bounce back from last season's 4-14 run in the Big 12. Now that the Longhorns have Bamba, their class has leapt up to No. 3 overall and they have a 7-foot shot-blocking and rebounding machine to anchor the post. The talk for the last year was that a true point guard would help change the Longhorns' fortune and they look to have that as well in top 50 Matt Coleman. Assuming Andrew Jones comes to Austin – heck even if he decides to stay in it – the pieces are in place for an exciting and athletic team, and the pressure to win will be on in Austin.
KENTUCKY
Impact level: 5
What Bamba's choice means: Poor John Calipari, Kentucky and Big Blue Nation, they'll have to get over the loss of Bamba by celebrating their still No. 1 2017 recruiting class. Of course, the Wildcats could have used a presence such as Bamba on the interior, but they won't be lacking for size and athleticism. Bamba picking Texas does put a little more pressure on five-star big man Nick Richards to be ready to play and serve as a rim protector as a freshman, but the 7-footer is a big-time talent with plenty of athleticism and should be up to the challenge.
DUKE
Impact level: 4
What Bamba's choice means: This time a year ago, Bamba picking somebody other than the Blue Devils would have really stung. At the time, the Devils were considered a favorite for him but after landing 2017's No. 5 player Wendell Carter – a skilled big man himself – their chances seemed to fade with time. Mike Krzyzewski would have loved to have had Bamba's size and ability to protect the rim, and the loss of Chase Jeter due to transfer does leave things a little thin down low. But, Marques Bolden is back and will now have a chance to prove why he was ranked in the top 15 of the loaded class of 2016.
MICHIGAN
Impact level: 2
What Bamba's choice means: If we are being honest, not even the Wolverines most blindly faithful supporters gave Michigan much of a chance of landing Bamba. Sure he would have been a great piece, but the reality is that his strengths and Michigan's style of play under John Beilein didn't appear to fit very well together. It would have been easy to find a way to use Bamba and he surely could have been a fine player in Ann Arbor. But, the fact is that the decisions of D.J. Wilson and Moritz Wagner with regards to the NBA Draft are significantly more impactful to the Wolverines' future than Bamba's decision.
