On the night before Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League began, Mohamed Bamba couldn’t sleep. The excitement of what was to come was just too much.
Star recruits DeAndre Ayton and Mohamed Bamba usher in AAU season
The two-star big men in the class of 2017 went head-to-head in Brooklyn this weekend.
His PSA Cardinals were not only about to compete in their home town, in front of their fans, families, and a myriad of college coaches, but they’d also be playing in front of a national audience, and Bamba was part of the reason why.
Bamba is a 7-footer out of Harlem, ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the class of 2017. The Cardinals were ready to face California Supreme and No. 1 overall prospect DeAndre Ayton, another 7-footer. It’s tough to find a school that hasn’t offered either of them, though Bamba is believed to be a major Duke target and Ayton, many think, has a future in Kansas.
The game was a clash of almost literal titans on the first day of the first EYBL session, which is why ESPNU decided to pick it up.
Mohamed Bamba and his 7'8 wingspan must be seen to be believed
Mohamed Bamba and his 7'8 wingspan must be seen to be believed
Ayton and Bamba’s teams were given Court 1 at the Nike Cruise Terminal -- the court with the most fan seating and without any other games in the immediate vicinity. Roy Williams took his seat at center court nearly an hour before tipoff, and he was quickly joined by John Calipari, Tom Izzo, Bill Self, John Beilein, and plenty more.
When the game finally began, Bamba scored the first basket off a tip-in, then a few minutes later, picked up a steal and drove the length of the court for an emphatic dunk.
Overall, Bamba had the ability to impact every aspect of the game. His 7’8 wingspan, after all, seems to take up most of the court anyway.
He can also defend as well as any big on the circuit, discouraging opponents’ penetration with his size alone, then swatting away whatever anyone dares throw into his path.
Offensively, Bamba has improved over the past year, and the scary part is that he can get even better. He’s aggressive in the paint and seems to not know the concept of giving in to the defense. That resulted in a forced shot against Ayton that missed badly toward the end of the first half, but he more than made up for it with his hustle and head’s-up thinking that resulted in plenty of easy looks, offensive rebounds, and second-chance opportunities.
He finished the game with 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, as the PSA Cardinals won 69-68.
Ayton, meanwhile, took a few minutes to get going on Saturday, but displayed confidence and maturity beyond his years. He directed his teammates on defense and did the little things, even picking up his first assist before his first basket.
Once he got on the board, it became clear exactly how many weapons he has. On one play, he fooled Deng Gak, PSA’s other seven-foot big man, with an up-fake and followed it with a dunk. Ayton also showed off a mid-range jumper, pulling up just beyond the foul line while the PSA defense anticipated the drive.
Unfortunately for Ayton, he was slowed by an apparent leg injury, suffered on a scramble for a loose ball early in the second half. That rendered him ineffective most of the rest of the game, but fans and coaches alike still got a look at the tools the nation’s top recruit has to offer.
Despite the injury, Ayton still finished with seven points and nine rebounds. It followed up a 23-and-18 effort earlier in the day --€” California Supreme’s 69-59 loss at 8 a.m. to the Albany City Rocks.
This coming weekend, Ayton and Bamba will take their show to Westfield, Ind., for the second session. It’s also part of the NCAA evaluation period, so there will be more chances for them to show off in front of college coaches. If Brooklyn was any indication, they won’t disappoint.
See More:
