NBA Comparison: Rudy Gobert

Strengths: A truly elite physical specimen in terms of length, Mohamed Bamba jumps off the page with his 7’9” wingspan and 9’6” standing reach … This kind of size allowed him to immediately burst on to the NCAA scene as an elite rim protector with the measurables to translate this skill to the NBA … Blocking 3.7 shots per game during his regular season stint at Texas doesn’t even take into account the countless shots he altered or drive attempts he thwarted … Timing is a part of this, as he only averaged 2.4 fouls per contest at the college level … His lateral quickness is also very good for a player who measures in at 7 feet tall. This makes him a capable pick and roll defender and someone who roam the entire paint area with little effort … From a rebounding standpoint, his 10.4 boards per game as a freshman is well above average, and despite his narrow frame he held his own pretty well in the paint against stronger opponents … While Bamba will always be a lean player, he does have wide shoulders and looks to be able to add muscle … His 3.2 offensive rebounds per contest is also a very good indicator of timing around the rim … Mo Bamba’s offensive game is probably a little further along than you might initially think … He is a 67.8% free throw shooter, and has a nice high release and good backspin on his shot … In an era when long, defensive bigs are often poor free throw shooters, Mo appears to have the foundation to be pretty good at the charity stripe … His jump shot is also showing signs of life as Bamba shot 28% from the college 3 point line, and showed to be capable from the elbow, while showing decent shot selection … While his jumper and 3 point shot are not exactly calling cards at this point in his development, I’d still call his foundation as a shooter an strength overall … He’s also a decent ball handler for a big man, and has shown some impressive glimpses of his length and athleticism when putting the ball on the deck and driving past and then dunking on defenders … He plays with fire, and at the college level when he gets good position and is close to the rim he’s extremely tough to stop … Bamba definitely projects as a defender first at the next level, but he has the pieces in place , with continued development, to be a force on offense as well … An extremely bright individual, if not for basketball, he had Ivy league grades and credentials entering college …

Weaknesses: As obvious is as length is, it’s also not hard to notice he’ll need to continue to add strength to play the paint in the next level … At the 2017 Hoop Summit, he only weighed in at 216 pounds … Ideally, you’d like to see Bamba at least around 240 in a year or two, or possibly 250 … I think those weights are achievable for him judging by his length, and how he’s added muscle since high school … His awareness with his back to the basket and in the paint on offense is a work in progress too … He’ll need to continue to work on his awareness of spacing and cutting players, as well as adjusting to double teams and pressure from guards … When he’s feeling it offensively, he could take over a game at the college level, but he could also be too passive when he’d get bothered … Restraint is good from a team game perspective, but with his physical tools he should have been more aggressive at times while playing for the Longhorns … A solid athlete, but much of his wow factor is due to length and not explosiveness or leaping ability …

Overall: Bamba is truly an elite physical talent with a wingspan and standing reach that don’t come along often … He figures to be a capable rebounder and rim protector at the NBA level from day one. This alone gives him one of the highest floors in this draft, with an extremely high ceiling as well … His defensive potential paired with growth as a player, added girth, and experience could render him one of the best defensive bigs in the game for years to come … The fact he has a nice looking jumper and is already starting to get good results from the free throw line and in game situations at such a young age can make him an asset in terms of spacing as well … If he’s able to piece together all the areas of his offensive game, he actually has the potential to be a legit offensive NBA player while still being a defense first guy …

Notes: Nicknamed “Mo” … As a freshman was named a member of the All-Big 12 2nd Team (2018), Big-12 All-Defensive Team (2018), and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team (2018) … Measured 7’0, 216 lbs with a 7’9 wingspan and 9’6 standing reach at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit … Measured 6’11.5’’ in shoes, with a 7’8’’ wingspan and 196 lbs at the 2015 Nike Basketball Academy …

Dave Ray 3/20/18

Strengths: 7’0 big man with incredible length (7’9 wingspan and 9’6 standing reach) and big hands. Nobody in NBA Draft Combine history has ever measured at such a wingspan … Good athlete. Well-coordinated. Runs the floor and has a solid level of activity. Good fluidity … Changes the game as a defender and covers a lot of ground. Has the potential to be an elite defender at the highest level. Closes out on shooters … Positions himself well on the defensive end. Blocks and alters everything in the paint, recording 2.3 blocks per game over the Nike EYBL and six blocks per game his senior year at Westtown. Tremendous anchor and help defender. Good defensive anticipations and reactions. Leaves his feet when necessary, doesn’t pick up bad fouls when players try to throw their body at him … Shows a solid foundation for a face up game … Can shoot from midrange pretty consistently. Shows some touch within close with his left hand. Shows a solid foundation for a jump hook that can be a weapon moving forward with proper development … Rebounds everything he can get a hand on. Led the Nike EYBL with 13.9 rebounds per game. Cleans up well around the basket. Keeps the ball high after rebounds, doesn’t allow smaller players to get a hand on it … Intelligent individual off the court … Knows his limits offensively … Doesn’t try to do too much. Doesn’t drift to the perimeter or fall in love with jump shooting. Efficient scorer, shot 63.8% from the field for the Nike EYBL … Plays with tenacity … Constantly tracked by the defense … Good energy level. Stays alert for the pass … Continues to bring it even when he’s not heavily involved with the offense or getting many touches. Makes a big impact without scoring … Plays under control, doesn’t get rushed … Extremely bright kid who got offers from Ivy league schools like Harvard …

Weaknesses: Minimal offensive skills … Gets a high majority of his points off simply catching and finishing. Isn’t always involved with the offense or has it run for him. Still has a number of games where he scores in the single digits … Solid athlete, but not overly explosive, which diminishes his ability to some degree as a rim protector … Shows signs of facing up but has a ways to go before becoming a stretch big man … Post game is in its early stages of development. Lacks muscle memory on jump hooks … Has room to get stronger … Needs to further develop his feel for the game … Rarely makes progress when he puts the ball on the floor. Doesn’t handle double teams well …

Outlook: Incoming Texas freshman. Played in the McDonald’s All American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit. Led PSA Cardinals to the Peach Jam Championship game. Led Westtown School to a 32-2 record.

Evan Tomes 6/11/17

Strengths: 7’0.5 big man with incredible length (7’9.5 wingspan and 9’6 standing reach) and big hands … Good athlete. Well-coordinated. Runs the floor. Good fluidity … Changes the game as a defender and covers a lot of ground. Has the potential to be an elite defender at the highest level … Blocks and alters everything in the paint. Tremendous anchor and help defender. Leaves his feet when necessary, doesn’t pick up bad fouls when players try to throw their body at him … Shows a solid foundation for a face up game … Can shoot from midrange pretty consistently. Shows some touch within close with his left hand … Rebounds everything he can get a hand on. Led the Nike EYBL with 13.9 rebounds per game. Cleans up well around the basket. Keeps the ball high after rebounds, doesn’t allow smaller players to get a hand on it … Intelligent individual off the court … Knows his limits offensively … Doesn’t try to do too much. Doesn’t drift to the perimeter or fall in love with jump shooting. Efficient scorer, shot 63.8% from the field for the Nike EYBL … Plays with tenacity … Constantly tracked by the defense … Good energy level. Stays alert for the pass … Continues to bring it even when he’s not heavily involved with the offense or getting many touches … Plays under control, doesn’t get rushed … Extremely bright kid who got offers from Ivy league schools like Harvard …

Weaknesses: Minimal offensive skills … Gets a high majority of his points off of simply catching and finishing. Isn’t always involved with the offense or has it run for him … Solid athlete, but not overly explosive, which diminishes his ability to some degree as a rim protector … Shows signs of facing up but has a ways to go before becoming a stretch big man … Post game is in its early stages of development. Lacks muscle memory on jump hooks … Has room to get stronger … Needs to further develop his feel for the game … Rarely makes progress when he puts the ball on the floor. Doesn’t handle double teams well …

Outlook: Bamba possesses incredible physical tools but a raw skillset with great long term potential on both ends of the floor. His development is far from finished and his presence is felt when he takes the floor, even without putting up big numbers in the scoring column. Bamba had a strong Nike EYBL season and helped PSA Cardinals to the Peach Jam Championship game.

Notes: Committed to University of Texas on 5/18/2017 … Measured 7’0, 216 lbs with a 7’9 wingspan and 9’6 standing reach at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit … Measured 6’11.5’’ in shoes, with a 7’8’’ wingspan and 196 lbs at the 2015 Nike Basketball Academy

Evan Tomes 5/18/17