Mo Bamba: ‘My time here was special’
NBA-bound freshman reflects on lone UT season.
Mo Bamba’s local burger joint of choice? Shake Shack.
His favorite pizza place in Austin? Home Slice. “It’s the closest thing to New York pizza here,” Bamba said Tuesday.
His biggest piece of unsolicited advice to all Texas athletes? Skip the golf cart. “I’d say take the bus. You never know who you’re gonna meet,” he said.
And the standout UT freshman who is going pro had one final word for all elitelevel basketball recruits.
“My message would be pretty simple,” Bamba said. “If you want to have a great relationship with your coach, if you want to be told the truth, yet you don’t want to be babied, I think you should come to Texas and play for Coach (Shaka) Smart.”
Bamba, in his final meeting with local reporters, looked relaxed in loose-fitting shorts and a UT golf shirt while sitting inside Cooley Pavilion. He absolutely wants to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft on June 21. He will spend the next few months hoping to show NBA general managers why.
“I bring a lot of things to the table,” Bamba said. “Set aside all the basketball stuff, I bring a lot of things to the table as far as culturally and just who I am as a person. I could easily see myself as a guy in any city.”
Bamba led the Big 12 in rebounding (10.5) and blocks (3.6) and had some memorable battles against the league’s talented big men. Bamba said he’s been communicating with friends around the league to learn more about what’s ahead. He said he hasn’t chosen an agent, and will participate in the NBA scouting combine in mid-May, assuming he gets invited.
“My time here was special, just as far as what’s been laid out on the table for me,” Bamba said. “It was literally everything I needed when I was here. It sucks that it was one year. Obviously I would love to come back and play more. But this is the direction that I’ve decided to go.
“Austin is easily one of the greatest cities in America,” he added. “It’s part of the reason I chose to come to Texas. I can easily see myself being a guy where, I could see you guys downtown later today. This place is special.”
Roach testing the waters: Texas guard Kerwin Roach II hasn’t decided to go pro. He hasn’t decided to return for his senior season. He wants to see where he stands with NBA decision-makers.
To get the ball rolling, the 6-4 junior declared for the NBA draft on Tuesday, but Roach will not sign with an agent, thereby protecting his amateur status.
The NCAA changed the rules last year specifically for guys like Roach. Players could participate in private NBA workouts, hear directly from general managers and then make a decision whether to go pro or go back to school — provided they did not sign with an agent.
Roach had a career-year scoring wise this past season with the Horns. He averaged 12.4 points and piled up a career-high 26 against Nevada in the NCAA Tournament.