Baylors coaches worried they were going to lose Thamba. After the hot start, there was a rough patch of injuries and losses, what was that stretch like for you? REB. We have everybody healthy, everyone is hooping, I felt like nobody could stop us. Hometown: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo High School: Mountain Mission School School: Baylor (Men) More player info Copyright 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. 34 overall center prospect in his cycle and the No. Baylor routs rival Texas at home. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. This page is not available in other languages. I could tell hes a strong man, Flo says. He was just clapping, Tang says. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Jeremy [Sochan] is like a swiss army knife, he can shoot the three, he could play the four and he could play the five. Then coming in sophomore year and him getting all the minutes, I had no reason to be mad. Those guys do a tremendous amount of things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet, Teague said. Thamba had a relatively productive outing given that he played just 18 minutes in this season-ending loss for the Bears. He had written an essay to qualify for an international scholarship program. As he copes with the 2014 death of his brother, Thamba is splitting minutes at center for the second-ranked Bears. 5M; 0:17. So why is he still here, starting now on one of the best teams in college basketball? According to a police report, over the next two hours, he exhibited erratic speech and hostile behavior. We cheer for each other every time. Its usually pointed at them, but he wanted to have a conversation, not only for himself but all the other guys that were there.. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. But its not the same when you actually get to experience it, Thamba said. It was back when the two still-growing and raw players from different [] In the 2021 title game, Thamba had Drew Timme in his back pocket and he continued that defensive dominance. I was really emotional in that moment, he said. The reason I had that in mind is because growing up in Congo, we had limited access to water in general. CJ Moore 8 . Wilson has countless examples of Thamba in this role. That was about five years ago and far from the NCAA Final Four. . He was fine, he was normal, he was an easy-going kid, and then he ate this cookie and went over the balcony. 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. Naturally, when you get on the court that translates over. He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. Playing (for the NBA Global Academy) allowed me to dream and see myself in these shoes, Tchamwa Tchatchoua said. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Flo Thamba. 10 Baylor rallies to beat No. It was back when the two still-growing and raw players from different countries in Central Africa created a bond because they both spoke French. . Dec 21, 2020. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. And it was overall fun to see and stuff.". In some ways, this made the process more difficult for Thamba. [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. 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. For me its a confidence booster, Thamba says. Admittedly raw, he played at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. for three seasons. We got to get our stuff together. After that, injuries started piling in and that was definitely tough. own battles while returning from a knee injury. Hes more than just a basketball player. We knew we were going to lose eventually, no matter how much we were winning, there are going to be one or two games youre going to lose. 212 by Dallas Cowboys in NFL Draft, Eric Gray Selected No. Theres no perfect way to deal with what (Thamba) went through., His former high school coach, Al Wilson, would talk him through it. 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. Let go get a third-straight Big 12 title and another national championship.. A reporter mentioned that he spoke to Thambas parents before the game and Thambas brother had to translate, as neither spoke English. 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. Yall ended the season rolling, how did you guys keep going and rally to win another Big 12 regular season championship? When he checked the ball -- firing it at his brother's legs -- that will resonate with plenty of viewers. Thamba, like his teammates dressed in slacks and dress shoes, immediately instructed his teammates to get out and talked them through pushing the van out. When I spoke to them it was about how we have an opportunity to do something really good. 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. It's hard to gain trust with Flo Thamba. How did you make the decision to return? 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. And, yeah, just went out there and just played. Levi and his friends took the cookies back to their hotel. With Clark returning, Baylor coach Scott Drew was going to give him an opportunity in the hopes he at least could give a sliver of what he provided as a sophomore. 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. Kiszla: Avs embarrass themselves with silence about Valeri Nichushkin's mysterious absence following reported 9-1-1 call, Andrew Cogliano out for Game 7 with fractured neck after Jordan Eberle's hit leaves Avalanche miffed at lack of suspension, Celebration of life for Alexa Bartell, killed by rock thrown through windshield, draws hundreds to Arvada church, Denver airport makes Food & Wine's list of top 10 U.S. airports with best restaurants, With Andrew Cogliano out for rest of Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kraken's Jordan Eberle discusses hit that fractured Cogliano's neck, Skier killed in avalanche near Breckenridge, Your complete guide to Denver-area farmers markets in 2023. Other days he was a third-stringer. As a sixth-grader in South Africa when just starting to learn how to dribble, Thamba had another older brother who would wait for hours after school to ride the bus home with him. Subscribe Now. He was tall, and the middle school coach suggested he play basketball. I just felt like it really meant something.. Brittany Tankersley | Photo Editor. Next season, what do you see from this team? @BaylorMBB @ALaForce pic.twitter.com/7HfIVbOtSI. Florent Thamba (born 25 February 1999) is a Congolese college basketball player for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference. '". But those guards know they wouldn't be where they are now without the often interchangeable 245-pound post players _ the 6-foot-10 Thamba and and 6-8 Tchamwa Tchatchoua. flo thamba brother https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 ICC ICC https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images/empty . The 6-foot-8 Cameroon native sustained a serious knee injury last year. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Hes averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. One day Tristan is in practice; the next day hes not. With the support of my coaches, Im excited to return for a fifth season and continue working on my masters degree. When he got to Baylor, he had to pay dues,. Even in the midst of that, that midst of him working hard, he was always happy. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. "He was the one who . Come on fellas. Just be yourself, everything will take care of it. And, yeah, (I) just went out there and just played. Lets not forget about the five-star All-American coming in, so theres an opportunity to do something great.. Check out this pick and roll between Adam Flagler and Flo Thamba. 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. [3] In his junior season, Thamba became a starter for one of the top teams in the nation. Wilson says one big factor was Tang, who coaches the big men, making it a point to work on his relationship with Thamba. We also had LJ [Cryer] on the bench, and he was leading our team in scoring for the first half of the season. Thamba is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and he grew up in South Africa, before he lived in England and France and emigrated to U.S. in 2014. Here's the final tally on Russell Wilson trade between Broncos and Seahawks, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The tragedy that inspires Baylor center Flo Thamba. Buy . Its a combination that is hard to beat during the season. 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. I just felt like it really meant something.. His father is Emmanuel Thamba and his mother's name is Flarentine Soko-Pongi. Baylor vs Iowa State Cyclones Ferrell Center - Sat 3/4 Tickets as low as $9. Is there anything better than cold beer and baseball? "If we give him one more [award ball] we won't have anymore to practice with," Drew quipped. They basically just see stuff, smile and then that's their communication language. 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. Team CONF GB OVR; Kansas . Flo Thamba Personal Life. Posted on March 17, 2022. Ever., He was confused. It hurt, but when we got back in that locker room, as much as we were down it was more like, We came back from being down 25, thats never been done before. For me, that untapped new potential that we didnt even know we had. Wilson found out years ago that Thamba wants the truth. Hometown: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2022-23 Baylor 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. After Im done playing I want to open up a nonprofit thats going to have a partnership to give clean water to Africa. That still hurt on its own, but when we lost the second game to Oklahoma State that was when we were like, Okay, whats going 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. The coaching staff as a whole, but for me the most important thing was my teammates. 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. Flo Thamba. Were still waiting on a couple of guys decisions, but if they do decide to come back then most definitely. Thamba, who has started all 28 games, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua combine to average 9.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. What were the biggest factors? 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. Kyle Newman is a sportswriter for The Denver Post, a position hes held since 2016. But its not the same when you actually get to experience it, Thamba said. Plus, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchouashould return from his knee injury earlier this season, giving Baylor a strong squad yet again in 2022-23. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Definitely the teams chemistry, the fact that we have a bunch of guys that love each other. It's official: Jamal Murray, Nuggets are in Phoenix's heads now. The 6-foot-10 Congo native is the lone starter . 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. Rounding out Baylors trio of African big men is freshman Josh Ojianwuna, a 6-foot-10 forward from Nigeria. Denae Fritz Announces Transfer from Iowa State to Baylor, Baylor Bears Womens Basketball 2023-24 Offseason Roster Tracker, Baylor Bears mens basketball 2023-24 offseason roster tracker, Baylor to Face Brady Manek, Tar Heels in NCAA Second Round, Saint Peters Overtime Win over Kentucky Upsets East Region. And for his son Flo, this wasnt going to stop him from chasing his dreams. 1Y; 2:02. Before he could process what was going on, the principal was at his desk. He is the coauthor of "Beyond the Streak," a behind-the-scenes look at Kansas basketball's record-setting Big 12 title run. He is a beat reporter covering the Colorado Rockies and Denver Broncos in addition to covering other professional, college and high school athletics around the state. For Baylor forward Flo Thamba, however, few games, if any, carry more weight than Thursdays NCAA opener. After last season, the process started to play out as it should. But, overall, its just amazing having them around.. His father left him with one message: I want you to reach your goals. 10 prospect among schools from the state of Virginia, regardless of position. 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. So Ive got to make it to the league.. He has worked at Bleacher Report as the sites national college basketball writer and also covered the sport for CBSSports.com and Basketball Prospectus. We have guys that bought into the whole program, we just would have been different. Thamba had another older brother who would wait for hours after school to ride the bus home with him. Because of his injury, Jon was able to spend a lot of time just working on his shot and his passing, Drew said. 0.6. Keeler: Chris Paul got dirty. 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. You look at any championship team, there must be guys who really love each other.. 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. Between Thamba, Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Ojianwuna, the Bears have versatile firepower in the paint. His actual height is 6 feet and 10 inches. Flo Thamba, 6-10, 245, PF, Jr. (Kinshasa, Congo) Committed: Jan. 15, 2018 Thamba came to the United States in 2015 after spending his freshman year in high school in Johannesburg, South Africa. 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. We already have the chemistry, weve been together for some time. Just keep going. I was one of the first guys to go to the Academy. Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. From the NBA Global Academy, Tchamwa Tchatchoua played one season at UNLV before transferring to Baylor, where he redshirted as a sophomore and appeared off the bench in 29 games during the Bears title season. Thamba, who has a 7-foot-5 wingspan, is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, grew up in South Africa and also lived in England and France before coming to the United States. Wilson was driving a 15-passenger bus, took a wrong turn and tried to turn around but got stuck in a ditch in the muddy snow. They visited a marijuana dispensary, and one of Levis friends purchased six cookies. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. Cumulus and the Big 12 are not affiliated with this website. Then one day that spring Flo was sitting in eighth-grade biology class, scrolling through Facebook and his brothers picture was everywhere. 0 because Wilson identified that as a number of responsibility. Its why Drew often redshirts his big men. 3 Bears, who take on No. 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. He came into it with expectations that he was going to play and play a lot.. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Thamba told reporters Wednesday ahead of the game, . Player Bio. You can be down 20 or in a tie game, and Thamba's expression isn . Flos our anchor, senior guard Adam Flagler said. Ignore User . Getting real minutes as a freshman creates an expectation for any player that his sophomore season will result in increased playing time and production, but instead, Freddie Gillespie, a Division III transfer, had developed into one of the Big 12s best centers. 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. Flo's parents are mentioned in some places. There are no statistics for this selected season available for this player. He played his prep basketball at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, before signing with Baylor in 2018. One stop at a time. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He wants to play in the NBA, and if he gets there he plans to wear the jersey No. 1Y; 0:16. Man, it actually worked for Freddie. Its not because of the weed.. Hes different than a lot of kids now. In the case of his father, the two had not seen each other in seven years. Thamba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived in England and France during his childhood before settling in South Africa. bear2be2. 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. The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and it was a good showing for the Big 12 Conference. Fully healthy, theres no team that stood a chance.. It was a moment of realization, he remembers. But, overall, this is fun. But, overall, it's just amazing having them around.. The Oklahoma Sooners are Big 12 softball champions, once again, after an 8-2 win over the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday. 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. 0:18; See All. We kind of took it with a grain of salt. 1 seed Baylor acro & tumbling wins eighth-straight national title, Mulkey wins 12th, Lariat TV News: Capital murder, sexual assault awareness and softball battling sirens. The two, who met in 2016 in Africa at a Basketball without Borders camp, share a special bond. Thamba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived in England and France during his childhood before settling in South Africa. I really didnt know what the Final Four meant before I even came to Baylor, he said. 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. The team starts off 15-0, you're at the top of the mountain. What was the feeling in the locker room after dropping a crazy one to the University of North Carolina? Factor in junior 7-footer Zach Loveday, and size isnt an issue for the No. 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. Everything is flowing; obviously we had some issues here and there, but everything was just clicking. Levi had traveled to Denver with some new friends for a spring break trip. Follow CJ on Twitter @cjmoorehoops, Thamba is making his voice heard with the Bears. It was more seeing him go down, thats what ripped me apart.. Just be yourself, everything will take care of it. All-American junior Jared Butler and his backcourt mates Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague pretty much get all of the attention for the top-seeded Bears (26-2), who play a former Southwest Conference rival in the first national semifinal game Saturday. But, I mean, when I saw them for the first time in the stands, it was kind of weird. [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. As he copes with the 2014 death of his brother, Thamba is splitting minutes at center for the second-ranked Bears. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. I told the coaches Im not going to make my decision yet, Im going to spend time with my family. Thamba requested a meeting with Wilson to make sure the program was positioned to continue and to check on his coach. He is a member of the BBWAA and PFWA. I was, like, Hey, listen, just be yourself. 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. You can learn more about Pete by visiting his personal website: PeteMundo.com. So anytime hes locked in and hes flying around out there, everybody is going to feel it. Theres almost no explanation, assistant coach John Jakus says. His first basketball memory is that he could barely dribble. The days that ensued felt chaotic, but through it all, he watched his father. In times of distress, Flo says, you always panic and make wrong decisions.. Outside of your parents, who were the biggest influences on your decision? Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. Let's talk about Flo Thamba. 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. His absence that season created an opportunity for Thamba, who averaged 15.2 minutes in the first 11 games following Clarks injury. VividSeats. Emmanual focused on what was next. You must be a subscriber to . From the outside, they always feel like its a one-man position, but in reality, were a two-headed snake.. [4] On 26 February 2022, Thamba scored a career-high 18 points in a 80-70 victory against Kansas. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. But that truth, and those circumstances, were difficult. AST. For me, my mentality never really changed. Angry CU Buffs parents, confused kids who felt forced into transfer portal. When Baylor begins its pursuit of a second national title in three years Friday at Ball Arena, pay attention to Flo Thamba. 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. Copyright 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. In October 2015, with the help of Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, who is also from the Congo, Flo moved to the United States to play basketball at Mountain Mission School in Virginia. Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Flo Thamba, the high-energy athletic bigs who do so much inside helping guard-oriented Baylor, first met at a Basketball Without Borders camp in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the way Thamba cared that made Wilson love him so much. But, I mean, when I saw them for the first time in the stands, it was kind of weird, Thamba said. In some ways, this made the process more difficult for Thamba. 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 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.. Jakus made two visits to Mountain Mission that sold Thamba. What we do takes one, two, three years sometimes for these guys, Jakus says. Flo Thamba goes up strong for the and-1. It was early Tuesday in Cameroon when Baylor beat Arkansas in the South Region final and Tchamwa Tchatchoua got his parents on a FaceTime call while he was on the ladder cutting off a piece of the net. 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. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Try a week on us. 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. The Oklahoma Sooners are Big 12 softball champions, once again, after an 8-2 win over the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday. But given the circumstances, the day was about far more than just basketball for Thamba and his family in the end a theme Thamba says has always rung true in his household. Why wouldnt I take advantage of that?. All-American junior Jared Butler and his backcourt mates Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague pretty much get all of the attention for top-seeded Baylor (26-2), which plays former Southwest Conference rival Houston in the first national semifinal game Saturday. Its hard to gain trust with Flo Thamba. Now you get a stretch big, someone who can shoot 40, 50 percent from three and that opens up the offense. I really didnt know what the Final Four meant before I even came to Baylor, he said. On Monday, senior forward Flo Thamba announced he is returning for his final season as a Baylor Bear. (I) kind of shot two air balls in the warmup. 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. Flo Thamba nails the buzzer-beater. Thamba loves Wilson likes a second father. Most players in that situation transfer. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Another brother is in finance. By CJ Moore. Thamba didnt necessarily need an explanation for why it happened. Devin Booker sulked. While Flagler (15.5 points) and freshman guard Keytone George (16.0) are the leaders on offense, Thamba took the long road to becoming the teams de facto leader. 3M; 0:17. PTS. The report said he awoke early that morning, shivering and speaking French.
