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Gonzaga Basketball

Longhorns’ Mohamed Bamba poses sizable challenge for Gonzaga

Texas center Mohamed Bamba grabs a rebound from Texas A&M forward Robert Williams in the second half of a charity game in Houston. (Tim Warner / Associated Press)

After facing a string of guard-driven opponents in their first five games, the Zags encounter a sizable challenge from Texas. Mohamed Bamba, a 6-foot-11 center who was No. 6 on ESPN.com’s Top 100, isn’t a prolific scorer yet but he’s a game-changer defensively. He has 15 blocks in 100 minutes this season.

The Zags counter with Johnathan Williams, who put on a show with 39 points in Friday’s 111-105 double-overtime loss to Florida. Williams operates mainly within 10 feet of the basket, which should be an intriguing matchup against Bamba’s athleticism.

The frontcourt subplot will be interesting, too, featuring the Longhorns’ Dylan Osetkowski and the Zags’ Killian Tillie, a pair of skilled power forwards.