Gonzaga’s 2019 recruiting class gained a major piece with the commitment of Oumar Ballo. The native of Mali made waves in international play and has been dubbed as “Baby Shaq” due to his physical stature. Ballo gained popularity as a recruit when he averaged 25.7 points and 22.8 rebounds at the FIBA Under-17 World Championship in 2018 in Argentina. His efforts helped Mali to an 8-0 record as they cruised to a championship.
Oumar Ballo has committed to Gonzaga, a source tells ESPN. 6'11 Malian center with a 7'6 wingspan averaged 21 points and 17 rebounds at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Argentina last summer. Only 16-years old but will enroll this summer.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 24, 2019
Undeniably, the 16-year-old center is regarded as a 5-star potential recruit. Jonathan Givany from ESPN’s Draft Express has described Ballo as a wrecking ball in the post with exceptionally soft and reliable hands. Per Givany, Ballo is highly mobile, coordinated and fluid with good balance and solid feel for the game.
Ballo finished out his high school career at the NBA Academy Latin America. The 6’11 center with a 7’6″ wingspan chose the Bulldogs over finalists Baylor and Arizona. With the addition of Ballo, the Zags have the best class in program history. They also have commitments from 4-star players Drew Timme, Anton Watson and Pavel Zakharov. The Zags also landed 3-star’s Martynas Arlauskas and Brock Ravet. Head coach Mark Few has established Gonzaga as a destination for top international recruits.
