Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Pa. basketball preview, big men: Westtown's Bamba is among nation's best

About the only thing Westtown superstar Mohamed Bamba hasn't done yet in his high school career is pick a college.

About the only thing Westtown superstar Mohamed Bamba hasn't done yet in his high school career is pick a college.

The versatile 6-foot-11 senior has led the Moose to championships, won a gold medal playing on the 2016 FIBA Americas under-18 squad, played in major national showcases and tournaments as part of the New York-based AAU team PSA Cardinals and was even given a superhero alter ego by Bleacher Report.

According to multiple reports, Bamba is mulling offers from schools such as Kentucky, Duke, Harvard and Texas, just to name a few. ESPN has him ranked as the No. 4 high school player in the country.

Bamba's college decision will come when he's ready. One thing, however, is certain. There is nothing the Harlem, N.Y., native can't do on the court.

"In my opinion, Mohamed has become a position-less player who happens to be 6-foot-11," said Westtown coach Seth Berger. "Mo is tall and long, athletic and coordinated, super intelligent and unselfish, so if he were 6-foot-1 you'd say, 'Let that guy be your point guard.' Because he's 6-foot-11, there's nothing on the floor that he can't do."

Some websites already have Bamba as a top-five pick on their 2018 NBA draft boards.

In November, Bleacher Report created a video in the mold of a graphic novel with Bamba playing the role of "Wingspan."

Bamba's 92-inch wingspan from hand to hand, the video says, would be the second-longest in the NBA right now, behind only Rudy Gobert (92 1/2 inches) of the Utah Jazz.

On the court, it's clear Bamba possesses every tool needed. He can create his own shot off the dribble, shoot from the mid-range and behind the three-point line, pass for assists, block shots, rebound and dunk with ease.

According to Berger, however, Bamba may have made his greatest strides as a leader.

"When he was a sophomore, he was smart enough to know what plays should happen," Berger said. "When he was a junior, he would kind of point to where people should go, and let other people take the lead."

Now, Berger said, Bamba commands his teammates' attention and provides verbal instruction and encouragement.

On a team full of elite talent, having a voice that commands respect is no small feat. Last year, the Moose won their first Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association boys' basketball championship after losing in the finals in three of the previous four seasons.

Westtown's Brandon Randolph, a 6-foot-6 senior shooting guard, is an Arizona commit and a top 40 player in the nation, according to ESPN. Cameron Reddish is a 6-foot-7 junior wing with offers from Duke, Kentucky, Arizona and Kansas, among several others. Anthony Ochefu, the younger brother of former Villanova standout Daniel Ochefu, is a 6-foot-8 senior who committed to Stony Brook.

With all of that talent, the team has taken to a motto that is reflective of cohesiveness.

"I am for you," is emblazoned on the back of their warm-up shirts.

"And that's what this team is all about," Berger said. "We have at least two, maybe three kids who will be playing in the NBA and maybe 5, 6 or 7 kids that will be making money playing basketball someday, and everybody just wants to win."

@AceCarterINQ

Cartera@phillynews.com