The run of Texas sending big men to the NBA continues with one of the highest-upside prospects to ever set foot on the Forty Acres having his name called in the 2018 draft.
Mohamed Bamba, the forward who joined the Longhorns last summer as a five-star prospect, was taken No. 6 overall by the Orlando Magic Thursday night in the 2018 NBA Draft. With his selection, Bamba becomes the highest-drafted Longhorn since Tristan Thompson was taken fourth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011.
Bamba joins a long line of Texas big men to make their way to the league. Of the 17 first-round picks produced by the Texas program, Bamba is the eighth power forward or center.
Bamba is the first lottery pick produced by the Longhorns since Myles Turner was taken 11th overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2015. Turner and Bamba are two of five first-round big men drafted out of Texas since 2010, a group that includes Damion James (2010), Thompson (2011) and Jarrett Allen(2017) with James being the only player among the five to spend more than one season with the Longhorns.
Bamba’s 3.7 blocked shots per game ranked second nationally. Bamba also ranked among the national leaders in rebounding (12th, 10.5 per game), defensive rebounding (18th, 7.3 per game) and double-doubles (20th, 15).
The 15 double-doubles Bamba posted led the Big 12, as did his rebounding and blocked shot numbers. In 30 games (29 starts), Bamba ranked second among all Longhorns in scoring (12.9 points per game) and fourth in minutes per game (30.2) while shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 68.1 percent from the free throw line.
Bamba’s final game as a Longhorn was a 13-point, 14-rebound performance with three blocked shots in an 87-83 NCAA Tournament loss to Nevada. Despite missing three games late in the season with a toe injury, Bamba was playing an outstanding brand of basketball entering the NCAA Tournament as he averaged 14.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game in 19 contests entering March Madness, a run that included 11 double-doubles.
