At Mountain Mission, he picked the No. 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. 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. Flos been playing since he was a freshman. But, I mean, when I saw them for the first time in the stands, it was kind of weird, Thamba said. 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. 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. 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. 0:18; See All. 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. Baylor senior big man Flo Thamba announced Monday morning that he will return for his fifth year with the Bears in 2022-23. Thamba doesnt try to look too far ahead, but he does have one big hoop dream that would allow him to honor his brother. From the outside, they always feel like its a one-man position, but in reality, were a two-headed snake.. C.J. 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. His friends calmed him down. Angry CU Buffs parents, confused kids who felt forced into transfer portal. I was one of the first guys to go to the Academy. It was more like moments of happiness. Thambas made 96 consecutive starts entering the tournament, and is averaging 5.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. According to a police report, over the next two hours, he exhibited erratic speech and hostile behavior. Flo Thamba goes up strong for the and-1. Hes averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. Flo progressed quickly. 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. 212 by Dallas Cowboys in NFL Draft, Eric Gray Selected No. 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. I was really emotional in that moment, he said. So why is he still here, starting now on one of the best teams in college basketball? He played his prep basketball at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia, before signing with Baylor in 2018. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and it was a good showing for the Big 12 Conference. A reporter mentioned that he spoke to Thambas parents before the game and Thambas brother had to translate, as neither spoke English. Find out more. In some ways, this made the process more difficult for Thamba. Thats pretty unique.. The days that ensued felt chaotic, but through it all, he watched his father. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he continues to be carried by his brothers faith. Ojianwuna previously played for NBA Academy Africa as well as the NBA Global Academy before landing at Baylor. Dont sugarcoat it. 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. Thamba had a relatively productive outing given that he played just 18 minutes in this season-ending loss for the Bears. Then one day that spring Flo was sitting in eighth-grade biology class, scrolling through Facebook and his brothers picture was everywhere. 1:44; Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. His best game of the 2021 season came [] He averaged 3.6 points and four rebounds per game, helping Baylor win its first NCAA tournament title. 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 Personal Life. 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. And, yeah, just went out there and just played. 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. And for his son Flo, this wasnt going to stop him from chasing his dreams. Everything is flowing; obviously we had some issues here and there, but everything was just clicking. There are no statistics for this selected season available for this player. 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. Thamba, who has started all 28 games, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua combine to average 9.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. For me its a confidence booster, Thamba says. Last season, he averaged career-highs in points (6.2), rebounds (5 . 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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. Even in the midst of that, that midst of him working hard, he was always happy. Florent Thamba (born 25 February 1999) is a Congolese college basketball player for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference. The tragedy that inspires Baylor center Flo Thamba. Emmanual Thamba works in customs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he sent his children all over the world to study. Buy . 1Y; 2:02. C.J. [2] He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor over offers from Illinois, Virginia Tech and Nebraska. 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. 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. Its not because of the weed.. Flos our anchor, senior guard Adam Flagler said. 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. Ever., He was confused. 10 prospect among schools from the state of Virginia, regardless of position. When [Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua] went down, how did that impact your mentality and the way you approached every game? 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. For me, something big is making a difference in someones life., Baylor baseball swept by No. In the 2021 title game, Thamba had Drew Timme in his back pocket and he continued that defensive dominance. Another brother is in finance. But its not the same when you actually get to experience it, Thamba said. Team CONF GB OVR; Kansas . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. He was the guy who actually was dedicated to me more than anybody else, because everybody else just thought it was more of an intramural thing I was just doing for fun. You look at any championship team, there must be guys who really love each other.. Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. Levi went back to sleep, but then woke up again crazy, his friends told police. We just had so many weapons. Given Thambas well-traveled youth, his parents were speaking French. Because of what happened to his brother, it takes time to win his trust. Theres almost no explanation, assistant coach John Jakus says. [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. 5 Kansas 80-70 in Big 12", "The tragedy that inspires Baylor center Flo Thamba", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flo_Thamba&oldid=1143412984, This page was last edited on 7 March 2023, at 15:26. Flo's weight is 111 kg. Its a combination that is hard to beat during the season. While Emma was in attendance for that game, travel issues prevented Emmanual and Florentine from being on hand at Ferrell Center, according to team officials. Theres no perfect way to deal with what (Thamba) went through., His former high school coach, Al Wilson, would talk him through it. In times of distress, Flo says, you always panic and make wrong decisions.. Thamba will give you his heart, but it takes work on your end to get there. He was leading the country in field-goal percentage, and the offense went through him. ANALYSIS. . Baylor does a pairs shooting competition, and since Tchamwa Tchatchoua transferred from UNLV to Baylor in 2019, theyve been paired together and call themselves the African Connection., Thamba starts, but the minutes are split almost evenly . When he checked the ball -- firing it at his brother's legs -- that will resonate with plenty of viewers. Those guys do a tremendous amount of things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet, Teague said. How was he so steady? He ran out of the room, tumbling over the railing in a hallway that overlooked the lobby, falling four floors to his death. It's just like 'man we get to celebrate this thing together. Tchamwa Tchatchoua was born in Cameroon and spent two years at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, where he first played organized basketball. bear2be2. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. Were still waiting on a couple of guys decisions, but if they do decide to come back then most definitely. 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. He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. 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. 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. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Thamba told reporters Wednesday ahead of the game, . Flo Thamba throws down big slam dunk vs. Mcneese St Cowboys. 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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. They basically just see stuff, smile and then that's their communication language. Especially after the Villanova game where we just smacked them, I was like, Man, nothing can stop us now.. Something had happened. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But the thing that sticks with us the most was the togetherness we had. NEWS BIO SOCIAL STATS VIDEOS GAME LOG. 3M; 0:17. 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 being the biggest cheerleader and leader.. As an athlete, saying big means championship, but thats just a little piece of metal. Try a week on us. "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. 34 overall center prospect in his cycle and 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. In January 2014, Levi moved to the United States to attend college.

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