Josh Mballa Explained

Josh Mballa
Position:Small forward / power forward
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lb:220
Birth Date:29 July 1999
Birth Place:Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Nationality:French
High School:Putnam Science Academy
(Putnam, Connecticut)
College:
Draft Year:2023
Highlights:
  • MAC Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
  • 2× Second-team All-MAC (2021, 2022)
  • 2× MAC All-Defensive Team (2021, 2022)

Joshua Kenneth Mballa (born 29 July 1999) is a French basketball player. He played college basketball for the Ole Miss Rebels, the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Buffalo Bulls.

Early life and career

Mballa was born in Detroit, Michigan but raised in Bordeaux, France.[1] [2] He started playing competitive basketball at age eight, learning from Vincent Mbassi, a trainer at Kameet Academy who knew his uncle.[3] He played for Bouscat and then JSA Bordeaux before joining Orléans Loiret.[4] Mballa returned to the United States for high school, attending Putnam Science Academy in Putnam, Connecticut. Playing alongside Kyle Lofton and Osun Osunniyi, he helped his team win the National Prep Championship.[5] A three-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Texas Tech over offers from Seton Hall and South Florida.[6]

College career

As a freshman at Texas Tech, Mballa played sparingly, scoring 13 total points, and his team reached the national championship game.[3] For his sophomore season, he transferred to Buffalo and received a waiver for immediate eligibility.[7] As a sophomore, Mballa averaged 10.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He grabbed 308 rebounds, the most by a Buffalo player in a single season since Sam Pellom in the 1975–76 season.[8] He missed three games early in his junior season due to plantar fasciitis. On 19 December 2020, Mballa posted a career-high 27 points and seven rebounds in a 107–96 overtime loss to Syracuse.[9] As a junior, he averaged 15.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, receiving Second Team All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Defensive Player of the Year honors. He declared for the 2021 NBA draft before withdrawing and returning to Buffalo.[10] Mballa was named to the Second Team All-MAC as a senior.[11] Following the season, Mballa declared for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.[12] He also later entered the transfer portal.[13] On May 15, 2022, Mballa announced he was transferring to Ole Miss.[14] He subsequently withdrew from the NBA Draft.[15]

National team career

Mballa represented France at the 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Spain, where he averaged 4.2 points and four rebounds per game. At the 2017 FIBA U18 European Championship in Slovakia, he averaged 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.[16]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19| style="text-align:left;"| Texas Tech| 17 || 0 || 3.4 || .444 || .000 || .357 || .3 || .1 || .1 || .1 || .8|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| style="text-align:left;"| Buffalo| 32 || 20 || 25.8 || .562 || .000 || .590 || 9.6 || 1.0 || 1.3 || 1.1 || 10.8|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21| style="text-align:left;"| Buffalo| 22 || 19 || 29.5 || .486 || .250 || .679 || 10.8 || 1.9 || 1.5 || .5 || 15.3|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 71 || 39 || 21.6 || .521 || .227 || .618 || 7.7 || 1.0 || 1.1 || .7 || 9.8

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lenzi . Rachel . Josh Mballa makes inside moves for UB men's basketball team . . 1 November 2021 . 22 January 2020 . 27 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220227064732/https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/josh-mballa-makes-inside-moves-for-ub-mens-basketball-team/article_5fc1376c-103a-5e88-9c1e-a92fdb00df95.html . live .
  2. News: Back at full speed, Josh Mballa helps UB's late-season run. February 22, 2022. The Buffalo News. Lenzi, Rachel. February 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220223143316/https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/back-at-full-speed-josh-mballa-helps-ubs-late-season-run/article_36d64358-9448-11ec-8e50-1b775d78eb68.html. February 23, 2022.
  3. Web site: Crane . Andrew . Texas Tech was unsure about Josh Mballa. Now at Buffalo, he’s a star. . . 1 November 2021 . 18 December 2020 . 19 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201219171041/http://dailyorange.com/2020/12/texas-tech-transfer-josh-mballa-one-of-buffalo-top-players/ . live .
  4. Web site: Dupriez . Hugo . L’objectif de Josh Mballa : "que j’amène Buffalo à la March Madness" . Midnight on Campus . 2 November 2021 . French . 15 February 2020 . 25 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210225225210/http://midnightoncampus.com/basketball/josh-mballa-objectif-amener-buffalo-march-madness-2020/ . live .
  5. Web site: Texas Tech transfer Josh Mballa commits to UB basketball . . 1 November 2021 . 7 June 2019 . 2 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211102172225/https://subscribe.buffalonews.com/e/limit-reached-bn?returnURL=https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/texas-tech-transfer-josh-mballa-commits-to-ub-basketball/article_60ae33c1-95ba-5f00-ba31-07e17fd85659.html . live .
  6. Web site: Soliz . Brandon . Joshua Mballa added to Texas Tech basketball roster . . 1 November 2021 . 2 July 2018 . 3 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180703001707/https://texastech.rivals.com/news/joshua-mbalaa-commits-to-texas-tech . live .
  7. Web site: Lenzi . Rachel . Transfer Josh Mballa receives waiver to play for UB men's basketball . . 1 November 2021 . 23 October 2019 . 2 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211102172154/https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/transfer-josh-mballa-receives-waiver-to-play-for-ub-mens-basketball/article_501f88e3-9931-5db8-be57-9428b2be6ec2.html . live .
  8. Web site: Skoczylas . Hunter . Jayvon Graves and Josh Mballa earn spots on preseason All-MAC teams . . 2 November 2021 . 21 November 2020 . 27 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210127004155/https://www.ubspectrum.com/article/2020/11/jayvon-graves-and-josh-mballa-earn-spots-on-preseason-all-mac-teams . live .
  9. Web site: Gunn . Patrick . Mballa's dominance inside gave Buffalo a chance to beat Syracuse . . 2 November 2021 . 20 December 2020 . 20 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201220123137/https://247sports.com/college/syracuse/Article/Josh-Mballa-Buffalo-Syracuse-basketball-157437935/ . live .
  10. Web site: Lenzi . Rachel . UB forward Josh Mballa withdraws from NBA draft consideration, will return to Bulls . . 2 November 2021 . 2 July 2021 . 3 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210703051111/https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/ub-forward-josh-mballa-withdraws-from-nba-draft-consideration-will-return-to-bulls/article_62e663fc-db60-11eb-bb38-5bf3db92bab9.html . live .
  11. 2021-22 Men's Basketball Postseason Awards Announced. . March 8, 2022 . March 8, 2022.
  12. Web site: NBA announces early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2022. April 26, 2022. NBA.com. NBA Communications.
  13. Web site: Lenzi . Rachel . UB forward Josh Mballa to enter transfer portal. . May 25, 2022.
  14. Web site: Lenzi . Rachel . UB forward Josh Mballa will transfer to Ole Miss. . May 25, 2022.
  15. Web site: Truax . Barkley . May 25, 2022. Report: Ole Miss transfer Josh Mballa withdraws name from NBA Draft. May 25, 2022. On3.com . en.
  16. Web site: Joshua Kenneth Mballa (FRA)'s profile - FIBA U18 European Championship Division A 2017 . . 2 November 2021 . 9 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190909125217/http://www.fiba.basketball/europe/u18/2017/player/Joshua-Kenneth-Mballa . live .

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