Many African international players are introduced to the sport much later than American, European or Australian players. They are generally older, but kids in U.S. begin playing in elementary school. By 15-16, the good ones play at high prep & AAU levels and enter college needing more adjustment than experience and IQ. Jumping to USA prep and 1 year later to Division 1 are giant leaps for Mo. He grew up playing soccer and only started basketball at almost 15 because of height and only at the suggestion of his aunt.
Not so long ago we had an American kid who started basketball late and needed patience and development, but unlike Mo, who is much older & came up through an NBA sponsored program in Africa, Moses was a relatively unknown late local HS project. He was a tennis player and swimmer, urged to tryout out for basketball as a HS freshman, and unheralded in hoops with a late growth spurt. Very much a gamble that paid off for CJP. Careful, patient development required for both.
Might take Mo awhile to match the pre-season expectations everyone seems to have of him. Moses did not have expectations to live up to, but had all the right tools and quickly adapted. Mo is even closer to getting there. But he is far from home, in new surroundings and thrust into the limelight of a Power Conference and expected to be an immediate impact. Can’t imagine what that must be like at age 20. Patience all around and I suspect the experts who ranked him so high will be proven correct.
