Admittedly raw, he played at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. for three seasons. But that truth, and those circumstances, were difficult. We both know how much work weve put in to be in the position that were in, so when he went down it wasnt me picking up this load, it was more like, Damn, my brother went down. Hes somebody who worked his butt off to be in the position hes in and now hes hurt, so it wasnt about my role because regardless Im still going to go out there and hoop. One stop at a time. MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Baylor's Flo Thamba takes to the big stage From the outside, they always feel like its a one-man position, but in reality, were a two-headed snake.. CJ Moore 8 . He wants to play in the NBA, and if he gets there he plans to wear the jersey No. FORT WORTH, Texas Baylor forward Flo Thamba's parents saw him play for the Bears for the first time on Thursday at the first round of the NCAA Tournament. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Thamba didnt necessarily need an explanation for why it happened. Flo Thamba - College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com PTS. But in the end, it only added to the motivation for the senior entering his final go around in March Madness. The 6-foot-10 Congo native is the lone starter left from Baylors 2021 title team and is one of three impact forwards who hail from Africa. He said that older brother, Levy, later went to a community college in Wyoming to study engineering, but died in an accident after trying a legal marijuana edible during a spring break trip to Colorado in 2014. [5], Thamba's father, Emmanual, works in customs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hes averaged 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds while splitting time with Thamba at the five-spot. Hes had lights on him and had to figure it out.. Flo Thamba - Men's College Basketball Forward - News, Stats, Bio and All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Making it accessible, creating more wells and giving awareness to people who have an opportunity to make a difference to other kids and other nations. (23-11, 3rd place in conference (Big 12), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:49AM. 1:44; Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. "More so for my mom, she's always supported me in a lot of ways, just seeing her and the fruits of labor after being away from each other is so special. The fifth-year senior with a 7-foot-5 wingspan is Baylors heart-and-soul, and the programs all-time winningest player (115 in games played). Baylor routs rival Texas at home. 0:18; See All. We definitely repeat. ANALYSIS. Player Bio. Outside of your parents, who were the biggest influences on your decision? As he copes with the 2014 death of his brother, Thamba is splitting minutes at center for the second-ranked Bears. He gradually earned that trust. Flo Thamba Game by Game Stats and Performance | ESPN I have an opportunity to see those same guys as well as the talent coming in who are all willing to buy in. FLO THAMBA NEWS. 34 overall center prospect in his cycle and the No. But when it was revealed that Baylor would open its NCAA Tournament run roughly 90 miles away in Fort Worth, a door opened for Thamba and his parents to have their moment at last. Follow CJ on Twitter @cjmoorehoops, Thamba is making his voice heard with the Bears. Flo Thamba nails the buzzer-beater. Stoic is the word his coaches use. My dad always tells me, Hey man, you have that degree and you have all these accolades to go along with it, nothing can stop you, so for me it was just seeing the bigger picture. Instead, he figured out why and analyzed the small details including defensive positioning and the way Gillespie communicated defensively that made him so successful. Is there anything better than cold beer and baseball? Given Thambas well-traveled youth, his parents were speaking French. Baylor Bears forward Flo Thamba (0) shoots over North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) during the first half of a second round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at. And it was overall fun to see and stuff.". Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He said he didnt start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13 years old, and knew little then about the NCAA Tournament. I was really emotional in that moment, he said. He thinks about him often, and then he thinks about his father and the example he setthat you have to keep moving onto the next thing. Before he injured his knee during Thambas freshman year, Clark had emerged as Baylors next star. That was about five years ago and far from the NCAA Final Four. When he got to Baylor, he had to pay dues, playing his first 52 games off the bench before becoming a starter as a junior and helping lead the Bears to the programs first national title. It was back when the two still-growing and raw players from different [] It all depended on the availability of Tristan Clark, who was dealing with his own battles while returning from a knee injury. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. For me, my mentality never really changed. He even considered it. In times of distress, Flo says, you always panic and make wrong decisions.. It is the first Final Four for the Bears since 1950, when there were only eight teams in the NCAA Tournament, and also the last time they had won a conference title. Hometown: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2022-23 Baylor Jon in transition, I think Ive got like four 3s specifically this year because of Jon sprinting the floor, and the guard had to drop down in the paint for him, Teague said. He made sure Thamba didnt use the circumstances as a crutch or an excuse. Hes averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 1Y; 0:16. Obviously we had the tandem of me and Jon like a double punch, and obviously hes my brother. Last year was hard. One day Tristan is in practice; the next day hes not. Kyle Newman is a sportswriter for The Denver Post, a position hes held since 2016. Next season, what do you see from this team? His best game of the 2021 season came [] But those guards know they wouldnt be where they are without the interchangeable 245-pound post players: the 6-foot-10 junior Thamba and and 6-8 sophomore Tchamwa Tchatchoua, who earned the nickname Everyday Jon for his work ethic and nonstop energy since his arrival. 212 by Dallas Cowboys in NFL Draft, Eric Gray Selected No. I knew it was a big thing, but I never like I traditionally watched the whole Final Four, or watched the whole thing, Thamba said. Drew says if Clark had been healthy, he probably would have played with two bigs more often, which would have meant Thamba would have been locked into that backup big man role and the minutes would have been there. The principal took his phone and later that day his uncle showed up to pick him up at boarding school. Something bad has gone on.. "More so for my mom, she's always supported me in a lot of ways, just seeing her and the fruits of labor after being away from each other is so special. Flo Thamba - COLLEGE-BASKETBALL News & Rumors | FOX Sports He has worked at Bleacher Report as the sites national college basketball writer and also covered the sport for CBSSports.com and Basketball Prospectus. I sat out and could watch and learn, Gillespie says. 19 the age of his brother when he left this world. Find out more. Eventually Baylor coaches figured out when hes quiet, then something is probably wrong, but it has taken years of observation to figure that out. The NBA hopeful has twin older brothers who are engineers, another brother who is in finance and a sister working toward a law degree in England. Thamba said his father, who works in customs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, wanted his children to have the ability to experience and see different things. Thamba joined the Baylor program in 2018 after playing high school basketball in Virginia, but circumstances had prevented his parents from watching him take the court as a collegiate player until this week, as he revealed to Baylor Insider earlier in the week. Thats all we had, Michelle Weiss-Samaras, a spokesperson for the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner, told Westword, a Denver-based publication, in 2015. Levi Thamba, who was five years older, would stay behind at school while Flo practiced, waiting to ride the late bus home and encouraging his brother to stick with it. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, City of Tyler to host Summer childrens programs, APEC holds 3rd annual block party fundraiser, Texas baseball player hit by gunfire during game, Tyler and Longview Bed Bath and Beyond stores are, Severe Weather Special 2023: Before, during and after the storm, CHRISTUS Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Athlete of the Week, Draft Day Preview Sponsored by Mission Golf Cars Tyler, Texas A&M Texarkana baseball player shot during game, Arps Demarvion Overshown heads to the Dallas Cowboys, Cowboys draft former Arp Tiger DeMarvion Overshown, Saints draft Mt. Some days he was the backup center and part of the rotation. '". By CJ Moore. His friends calmed him down. As a freshman, he averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. It was the way Thamba cared that made Wilson love him so much. Most players in that situation transfer. Flo Thamba - Baylor Basketball - RotoWire Stoic is the word his coaches use. bear2be2. [4] On 26 February 2022, Thamba scored a career-high 18 points in a 80-70 victory against Kansas. Flo Thamba enters final postseason with Bears aiming to 'handle I took full advantage of that; I hadnt seen my parents in a long time so I was focused on them. One thing I like about my family is like, there's not a lot of pressure about the stuff that happens on the court, Thamba said. . Ojianwuna previously played for NBA Academy Africa as well as the NBA Global Academy before landing at Baylor. Flo's parents are mentioned in some places. One of the cooler moments of this years tournament was when Flo Thamba got to play in front of his parents for the first time in his collegiate career, helping Baylor defeat Norfolk State in the opening round with 14 points, six rebounds, one assist, one block, and two steals. The whole experience of filling out the brackets and the anticipation of the first game, all of that stuff, I never really knew it until I actually experienced it.. Those guys do a tremendous amount of things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet, Teague said. You must be a subscriber to . His father is Emmanuel Thamba and his mother's name is Flarentine Soko-Pongi. Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. Brittany Tankersley | Photo Editor. Let's talk about Flo Thamba. We already have the chemistry, weve been together for some time. He said that older brother, Levy, later went to a community college in Wyoming to study engineering, but died in an accident after trying a legal marijuana edible during a spring break trip to Colorado in 2014. He was being the biggest cheerleader and leader.. Here's the final tally on Russell Wilson trade between Broncos and Seahawks, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. When Coach Jakus understood that and told him his heart, I think that was the tipping point for Flo.. He would definitely be proud, especially the level Ive attained and the stage Im at., More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25, FILE - Baylor forward Flo Thamba (0) shoots against Villanova in the second half of a Sweet 16 game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, in this Saturday, March 27, 2021, file photo. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he continues to be carried by his brothers faith. As an athlete, saying big means championship, but thats just a little piece of metal. He was the one who believed in my basketball dreams, Flo says. We also had LJ [Cryer] on the bench, and he was leading our team in scoring for the first half of the season. But this game looks like a rough one for all the players with . Thamba would end Thursday as one of five Baylor players to reach double-figures in scoring, shooting 7-of-9 from the field for 14 points in the victory against the Spartans. AST. Find Tickets. Flo Thamba contributed 18 points (8-13 FG, 2-3 FT) and nine rebounds over 23 minutes during Saturday's 80-70 victory over Kansas. Posted on March 17, 2022. Thamba, who has started all 28 games, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua combine to average 9.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. [2] He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor . Let's talk about Flo Thamba | SicEm365 He had written an essay to qualify for an international scholarship program. Hey, get off your phone. We just had so many weapons. You can be down 20 or in a tie game, and Thamba's expression isn . The national champion sat down with me to reflect on this past season, as well as give more insight on his decision to return for a fifth season. 10 prospect among schools from the state of Virginia, regardless of position. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. To make a 28-to-something run against a team that made it to the national championship, it tells you a lot. Do you have a sports website? It went to the guy who wants to take care of the team. 02.17.22 Flo Thamba chipped in seven points (2-3 FG, 3-8 FT), nine rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 83-73 loss to Texas Tech. All rights reserved. The fans are going to love it, and if he goes out there and gives his all, we have an opportunity to go far in this tournament.. If they dont come back, we still have an opportunity to be really good with the guys that we have. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. In the case of his father, the two had not seen each other in seven years. With the support of my coaches, Im excited to return for a fifth season and continue working on my masters degree. The first was after a heartbreaking loss to West Virginia in January 2018. Thamba starts, but the minutes are split almost evenly Tchamwa Tchatchoua has even played more but theres not a hint of jealousy between the two. He was fine, he was normal, he was an easy-going kid, and then he ate this cookie and went over the balcony. Try a week on us. He said that when he plays in front of his family, its not as a star basketball player, but as the little brother who is the youngest in the household., They basically just see stuff, smile and then thats their communication language, Thamba said. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today). It required two surgeries and Tchamwa Tchatchoua didnt debut this season until Feb. 4, nearly a year after he was named the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. And it was overall fun to see and stuff.. It was literally three athletes when we first started, and I was one of them. Thats pretty unique.. Tchamwa Tchatchoua was born and raised in Cameroon, but moved at age 16 to Canberra, Australia, to enroll at the then-brand-new NBA Global Academy. It started last season when he began to study Gillespie closely. The Los Angeles Chargers love themselves some TCU football. In the 2021 title game, Thamba had Drew Timme in his back pocket and he continued that defensive dominance. A former three-star prospect out of Grundy (Va.) Mountain Mission School, Thamba signed with Baylor as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2018, per the 247Sports Composite Player Rankings. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. He was the No. In his announcement, Thamba spoke about the journey that he has taken while at Baylor, from struggling to find the court early on in his career to being a national champion in 2021. March 22, 2023. A CDC article in July 2015 notes that Levi had 7.2 ng/mL of THC; the legal limit to operate a vehicle in Colorado is 5.0 ng/mL. C.J. "If we give him one more [award ball] we won't have anymore to practice with," Drew quipped. flo thamba brother His twin older brothers are engineers. We have players on the bench that are starters on any other team. We cheer for each other every time. Allstate Mayhem basketball commercial: Inside the 'Overly Competitive Gillespie said he knew how this season would play out when he talked to Thamba right before the games began, and the big man told him, Now when I get my opportunity, theres no looking back. Thamba had another older brother who would wait for hours after school to ride the bus home with him. Thambas made 96 consecutive starts entering the tournament, and is averaging 5.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. We have everybody healthy, everyone is hooping, I felt like nobody could stop us. But after that camp, they didnt see each other again until a pickup game two summers ago, more than 9,000 miles away in Waco, Texas. The Oklahoma Sooners are Big 12 softball champions, once again, after an 8-2 win over the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday. He played his prep basketball at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, before signing with Baylor in 2018. I wanted to wear it in college, but they dont allow that. Flo Thamba goes up strong for the and-1. When we had lost to [Texas] Tech at home, that was a blow as far as us being undefeated and being at home. Later, he woke up again and left the fourth-floor room and then returned, telling his friends, This is a sign from God that this has happened, that I cant control myself. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. He said he didnt start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13 years old, and knew little then about the NCAA Tournament. But, I mean, obviously the hardest part, too, is like the fact that they don't really speak English, so my brother always has to be there to translate. Flo Thamba, Baylor's "anchor" and all-time winningest player, leads Jeremy [Sochan] is like a swiss army knife, he can shoot the three, he could play the four and he could play the five. Flo Thamba. Join our linker program. He was like I feel like I know you from somewhere, said Thamba, who was already at Baylor when Tchamwa Tchatchoua (pronounced CHAWM-wuh CHAT-chew-wuh) transferred there following a freshman season at UNLV. The 6-10 forward, originally from Kinshasa, Congo, is coming off of his best year to date, averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. Devin Booker sulked. The coaching staff as a whole, but for me the most important thing was my teammates. I just had to swallow that tough pill and lockdown right now and focus on school.. Thamba has started all 29 of Baylor's games this season. Hes more than just a basketball player. When the time came, I sat down with my family and said, Here are the possible outcomes and possible decisions, and I made my decision based on conversations I had with my parents and with the coaches. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound post player with the 7-5 wingspan had four points, four rebounds and a steal in Saturday's 78-59 semifinal win . I was really emotional in that moment, he said. I just felt like it really meant something.. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. 5M; 0:17. He ran out of the room, tumbling over the railing in a hallway that overlooked the lobby, falling four floors to his death. The Los Angeles Chargers love themselves some TCU football. Deuce Vaughn Selected No. 10 Baylor rallies to beat No. When Im playing, usually when the starting big gets tired and the second big comes in, I know I can get a little active. At Mountain Mission, he picked the No. Tchamwa Tchatchoua said at times he just sits down and thanks God for an amazing journey, and how things worked out to get him here. 3M; 0:17. I was, like, Hey, listen, just be yourself. 34 center by 247Sports. Last season, he averaged career-highs in points (6.2), rebounds (5 . These are the qualities that have made Wilson love Thamba so much that he looks at a young man he coached for just two years like a son. Subscribe Now. WATCH: Gonzaga Bulldogs' Corey Kispert Falls Victim - EssentiallySports Wilson found out years ago that Thamba wants the truth. It was just his composure and how he kept his head down and kept working, Thamba says. Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. What were the biggest factors? After Im done playing I want to open up a nonprofit thats going to have a partnership to give clean water to Africa. Flo Thamba's Parents Watch Him Play for First Time: Look Especially after the Villanova game where we just smacked them, I was like, Man, nothing can stop us now.. Thamba said he made many sacrifices along the way, but everything found its path and paid offI definitely want to add to (my own legacy), but most importantly I want to help bring us another championship. His skill level is really improved. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. And, yeah, just went out there and just played. Jon in transition, I think Ive got like four 3s specifically this year because of Jon sprinting the floor, and the guard had to drop down in the paint for him, Teague said. The highlight defensive play of the game so far came when Baylor Bears' big-man, Flo Thamba, rose up to swat Corey Kispert's shot away. Hes different than a lot of kids now. Thamba said his father, who works in customs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, wanted his children to have the ability to experience and see different things. own battles while returning from a knee injury. 
Buy or Sell Tickets. When he checked the ball -- firing it at his brother's legs -- that will resonate with plenty of viewers. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, All-American junior Jared Butler and his backcourt mates Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague pretty much get all of the attention, nickname Everyday Jon for his work ethic and nonstop energy, spent two years at the NBA Global Academy. Kispert is presumed to be a first-round draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, since he was one of the best players for the Bulldogs all season. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Thamba will give you his heart, but it takes work on your end to get there. Plus, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchouashould return from his knee injury earlier this season, giving Baylor a strong squad yet again in 2022-23. 0:18; See All. His best game of the 2021 season came against Kansas, ranked fifth at the time, when he dropped 18 points and nine rebounds en route to an 80-70 victory over the Jayhawks. He is the coauthor of "Beyond the Streak," a behind-the-scenes look at Kansas basketball's record-setting Big 12 title run. The NBA hopeful has twin older brothers who are engineers, another brother who is in finance and a sister working toward a law degree in England. What are your plans for after college, what are you striving for? For Baylor forward Flo Thamba, however, few games, if any, carry more weight than Thursdays NCAA opener. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 8. Tchamwa Tchatchoua said at times he just sits down and thanks God for an amazing journey, and how things worked out to get him here. You just take with you a part of everything you see and everything you experience.. Jakus made two visits to Mountain Mission that sold Thamba.
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