Bamba leaving UT to enter NBA draft

AUSTIN — Three days after Texas’ season ended with a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, Mo Bamba’s college career officially closed.

“After an incredibly rewarding year at the University of Texas, I will not be returning to school as I will be entering the NBA draft,” Bamba said in a statement.

The announcement didn’t exactly land like a thunderbolt.

This was the real plan, regardless of what happened on the court. Everyone, from Bamba to coach Shaka Smart to school officials, was upfront about the one-and-done nature of this player-program relationship. But the 6-11 freshman enjoyed his time here all the same.

“I knew I made the right decision probably within hours of coming down here,” Bamba said in October. “I never really second-guessed it. This is home. This place is for me.”

Despite a developing offensive game, Bamba won’t wait long to hear NBA commissioner Adam Silver announce his name during the June 21 draft. He’s a consensus top-10 pick and could go as high as No. 3.

Bamba averaged 12.9 points on 54 percent shooting, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. He blocked a school-record 111 shots despite dealing with a toe injury that cost him three of the team’s final five games. He posted 14 double-doubles, and nearly notched a tripledouble (22 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks) in a Dec. 29 loss to Kansas.

“He could have checked out many, many times,” Smart said. “That’s relatively common for guys that know they’re moving on. But he has been engaged with this team even when he was hurt. He wanted to come here and be a part of something special.”