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On Monday evening, the Texas Longhorns lost to the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown. After the game, head coach Shaka Smart headed to the City for an important visit with Westtown School product Mohamed Bamba:
Shaka Smart going straight from Morgantown to see prized New York recruit Mo Bamba.
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) February 21, 2017
The consensus five-star prospect trimmed his list to four schools five weeks ago, with Texas making the cut, along with Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan.
The decision came just prior to star point guard Matt Coleman’s decision to commit to Smart and the Longhorns. Since Coleman and Bamba are close, the addition of a primary ball handler to the program only helped the odds with the nation’s No. 2 center.
Coleman and Bamba were able to establish that rapport in part because both played on the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team over the summer in Chile, winning a gold medal with the help of Smart as the head coach.
So both Coleman and Bamba know what it’s like to play for Smart, another factor that plays favorably for the Longhorns in Bamba’s recruitment.
Over the last five week or so, the move in Bamba’s 247Sports Crystal Ball has been for Kentucky, but Mamba is a bit like Jarrett Allen in that he’s a unique kid who will make his own decision.
As a result, it’s far too early to count out the Longhorns.