The long-awaited decision from 5-star power forward Mohamed Bamba is here, and it’s not one that’ll make Kentucky fans all that happy.
Bamba announced via The Players’ Tribune that he has committed to Texas:
Five-star forward Mohamed Bamba makes his college announcement: https://t.co/jxMsVX1ulB pic.twitter.com/sMYgMtOCUS
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) May 18, 2017
The Wildcats were the popular choice to land Bamba, but Shaka Smart managed to pull in his fifth player ranked at four stars or higher in the 2017 class.
Lovell’s Analysis:
Before anyone starts to freak out regarding how this affects Kentucky’s potential, let’s keep this in mind:
John Calipari still has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country and a handful of 5-star players on their way to Lexington.
Bamba is an excellent player that would have certainly added an impactful element to Kentucky’s already stellar frontcourt, but even without him, there’s a lot to like about this Kentucky team.
Power forward P.J. Washington and center Nick Richards are Top 20 players, as are fellow forwards Kevin Knox and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Let’s also remember that Kentucky is firmly in the mix for Pitt graduate transfer Cam Johnson. He averaged 11.9 points per game last season and would add even more depth to Calipari’s loaded roster.
As is always the case with Kentucky, building an on-court chemistry with all of the new faces will be the top priority for Calipari and company.
And just remember: Even without Bamba, this is still one of the best teams in the country.