Given Thambas well-traveled youth, his parents were speaking French. His first basketball memory is that he could barely dribble. 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. The camaraderie was really high. 172 by New York Giants in NFL Draft, ESPNs Pete Thamel on Chris Klieman: He Knows How to Win Championships, Bill Self Admits He Still Talks to His Late Father in Key Moments, Bill Self: Never a Doubt Kansas Would Return to Biggest Stage Following FBI Investigation. 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. He played his prep basketball at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, before signing with Baylor in 2018. He was being the biggest cheerleader and leader.. How did you make the decision to return? It was the way Thamba cared that made Wilson love him so much. 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. Hits 18 minutes in Round of 32 loss Thamba had six points (2-2 FG, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and two blocks over 18 minutes during Sunday's 85 . After the hot start, there was a rough patch of injuries and losses, what was that stretch like for you? Definitely the teams chemistry, the fact that we have a bunch of guys that love each other. Flo Thamba (0) Forward - Senior with 7-foot-5 wingspan, originally from Kinshasa, Congo; splits time with Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua at 5-spot Holds the program Flo Thambas basketball career started like it does for a lot of Africans. We had the potential to be in the same conversation, even when you cut down a quarter of our roster with everyone being hurt.. A reporter mentioned that he spoke to Thambas parents before the game and Thambas brother had to translate, as neither spoke English. Obviously we had the tandem of me and Jon like a double punch, and obviously hes my brother. Kyle Newman is a sportswriter for The Denver Post, a position hes held since 2016. . The plan was for Flo to move to the U.S. and live with Levi, his older brother watching over him as he went to high school and chased his own hoop dreams. 34 overall center prospect in his cycle and the No. We were able to face adversity and we still stuck together.. Plus, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchouashould return from his knee injury earlier this season, giving Baylor a strong squad yet again in 2022-23. For me, something big is making a difference in someones life., Baylor baseball swept by No. Just be yourself, everything will take care of it. 1Y; 0:18. Its basically just picking up on the same values, keep your head down and keep working and everything will come to fruition., Thamba now shares the center spot with Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, whom he has made better by sharing tricks he has learned on how to be a better screener and how to make reads in Baylors offense. It all depended on the availability of Tristan Clark, who was dealing with his own battles while returning from a knee injury. I wanted to wear it in college, but they dont allow that. Playing (for the NBA Global Academy) allowed me to dream and see myself in these shoes, Tchamwa Tchatchoua said. 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. Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. At Mountain Mission, he picked the No. When you look at the overall picture, why not? They open up the tap and nothing comes out. Thamba, who has started all 28 games, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua combine to average 9.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The 24-year-old spent parts of his childhood in Congo, England, France and South Africa, moving around before emigrating to the United States at age 16. He ended up at Northwest College, a junior college in Powell, Wyo. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. On Monday, senior forward Flo Thamba announced he is returning for his final season as a Baylor Bear. The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 6-7 season in 2023, the first under new head coach Brent About us: HCS is owned and operated by Pete Mundo. 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.. 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. But that truth, and those circumstances, were difficult. 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. Flo Thamba, Baylors anchor and all-time, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Flo Thamba, Baylors anchor and all-time winningest player, one of three African big men helping Bears title push, DUs Bill Tierney set to retire as sports most decorated coach, lacrosse icon, Grading the Week: Cale Makars big hit, Coach Primes roster overhaul and optics vs. reality, Joel Scott, D-II player of the year and Lewis-Palmer graduate, transfers to Colorado State. Stoic is the word his coaches use. After the last game happened, everybody kind of went home and just spent time with family. People tell stories about different places and different things. But this game looks like a rough one for all the players with . The team starts off 15-0, you're at the top of the mountain. He came into it with expectations that he was going to play and play a lot.. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. FORT WORTH, Texas It was business as usual for defending national champion Baylor Mens Basketball Thursday as the top-seeded Bears dispatched 16-seed Norfolk State in the NCAA Tournament, 85-49, to advance to the Round of 32. Senior with 7-foot-5 wingspan, originally from Kinshasa, Congo; splits time with Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua at 5-spot Holds the program record for most NCAA Tournament Games Played (10, eight starts) Started 64-consecutive games after entering 2020-21 national championship season with 0 career starts in 52 games played Scored in double-figures in 6 of last 10 games of 2021-22 after doing so in 4 of first 106 games Had 9 more steals in the 2021-22 season (22 in 694 minutes) than first 3 seasons combined (13 in 952 minutes) Born in Congo, lived in England, France and South Africa, emigrated to United States in 2014 Averaged 14.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as senior at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. Late addition to 2018 signing class, ranked No. [1] At age 16, he moved to the United States to attend Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, where he played basketball for three seasons. Youd never see him sulk. Subscribe Now. Im proud to have a Baylor degree, Thamba writes, but there is more work to be done. 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. 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. Fully healthy, what would this team have been? He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. Most players in that situation transfer. 17 West Virginia, drops series finale, 18-4, No. 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.. For Baylor forward Flo Thamba, however, few games, if any, carry more weight than Thursdays NCAA opener. '". But Teague said both posts carve out space in the lane with screens that make it easier for the guards to shoot, and there are times when Tchamwa Tchatchoua runs the floor with the smaller guys. Cumulus and the Big 12 are not affiliated with this website. He was tall, and the middle school coach suggested he play basketball. Just be yourself, everything will take care of it. And, yeah, (I) just went out there and just played. You must be a subscriber to . That was about five years ago and far from the NCAA Final Four. Complementing Thamba is another talented forward, redshirt senior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. At times that was really hard because you ask any player in college and all theyre thinking about is the NBA. CJ Moore 8 . So why is he still here, starting now on one of the best teams in college basketball? 1Y; 0:22. You just take with you a part of everything you see and everything you experience.. The Baylor coaches know Thamba is loving the experience, because hes smiling more and talking. We already have the chemistry, weve been together for some time. That was about five years ago and far from the NCAA Final Four. Emmanual Thamba works in customs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he sent his children all over the world to study. Deuce Vaughn Selected No. You just take with you a part of everything you see and everything you experience.. The first was after a heartbreaking loss to West Virginia in January 2018. Flo's weight is 111 kg. Just having that perspective, Ive seen a lot of kids not even have access to water in their household. Every day was a mystery. Thamba had another older brother who would wait for hours after school to ride the bus home with him. 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. PTS. Thamba has started all 29 of Baylor's games this season. He was just clapping, Tang says. . The 24-year-old spent parts of his childhood in Congo, England, France and South Africa, moving around before emigrating to the United States at age 16. And for his son Flo, this wasnt going to stop him from chasing his dreams. And, yeah, just went out there and just played.
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