Mo Bamba update: UK still expected to land elite big man, despite Texas momentum

When will Mohamed Bamba make his decision, and will it be Kentucky?

For awhile now, the expectation is Bamba would pick Kentucky in April or early May, but not only has he not decided yet, but it’s Texas who’s getting momentum in Bamba’s 247 crystal ball.

However, Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader is still hearing that UK is expected to land Bamba:

UK has been seen as a favorite for Bamba in recent months, and those who have been telling the Herald-Leader that they expect the Wildcats to ultimately be the pick have said that hasn’t changed over the past few days.

Roberts goes on to point out a number of big-time recruits who’ve dragged out their recruitment into the latter part of May and even June in some cases, so perhaps we shouldn’t expect a Bamba decision anytime soon.

The first week of May is here, and there’s been no indication Bamba has made a decision or is targeting an announcement date. We’ve heard some scuttlebutt that Bamba could be making his decision on his birthday, May 12th.

However, that would come in the middle of the NBA Draft Combine, which will feature several players from his remaining schools. Among them are Mo Wagner and D.J. Wilson (Michigan), Andrew Jones (Texas), Hamidou Diallo (Kentucky) and Frank Jackson (Duke), so he may want to see what they all do before making a decision.

There’s also recruiting decisions to be made by Kevin Knox, Cam Johnson and Trevon Duval, so he may want to see what they do as well. Bamba wants to go to a school that gives him a great chance at getting to the NBA and winning a title in the process.

Each school’s chances to do so will be dramatically affected by who stays and goes over the next month, so you can’t blame him if he wants to wait until around May 24th, which is the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft.

And be sure to follow our Twitter page to get all of the latest Kentucky Wildcats news and analysis.