Soon to be top-ranked Gonzaga continued to troll the international waters for blue chip prospects, getting a commitment this week from Oumar Ballo, a 6-10, 238-pound center from Mali who has a 7-6 wing span and averaged 20.6 points and 16.9 rebounds while shooting 55.2 percent at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina last summer. He scored 7 points and grabbed 10 rebounds with one block and three assists against eventual champion United States in a group game.
Ballo is only 16 years old but will enroll this summer as a 2019 recruit.
Ballo plays at the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City. He participated in the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at the NBA All Star weekend in Charlotte last weekend. Ballo first drew the attention of NBA scouts and college coaches when he put on a dominant performance at the FIBA U16 African Championship in Mauritius in 2017, averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 68 percent in just 21 minutes despite turning 15 just days before the tournament as Mali cruised to an 8-0 and qualified for the U17 Worlds.
The level of competition at that event was weak, given the fact Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Angola and Cameroon all declined to participate due to internal political problems, a lack of resources and inability to gather their most talented prospects who were playing in the U.S. or Europe. But his performance in Argentina raised eyebrows.
Ballo had the advantage of good genes with a 6-5 mother and a 6-8 father. He was originally a soccer player but switched to basketball after he moved with his mother to France, where his 6-10, 220-pound brother plays professionally. Ballo began training with coach Mohamed Diarra at age 11 at the Canterbury International Basketball Academy in the Canary Islands, a private British school where most classes are taught in English.
Within two years, he was a dominant force, winning MVP of the U16 Spanish championship in May of 2017 when his team finished third against strong competition from major Spanish cities like Madrid. He is a physical player who patterns his game after Shaquille O’Neal. He transferred to the NBA Academy Latin America this fall.
