Man, it actually worked for Freddie. Baylor vs Iowa State Cyclones Ferrell Center - Sat 3/4 Tickets as low as $9. I definitely feel like we have an opportunity to be better. The team starts off 15-0, youre at the top of the mountain. Levi went back to sleep, but then woke up again crazy, his friends told police. We have everybody healthy, everyone is hooping, I felt like nobody could stop us. Copyright 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. "If we give him one more [award ball] we won't have anymore to practice with," Drew quipped. His parents had a great seat at Dickies Arena and even got some face time during the national broadcast of the game. We definitely repeat. 243 overall and No. Factor in junior 7-footer Zach Loveday, and size isnt an issue for the No. Position: Forward 6-10, 245lb (208cm, 111kg) . Cumulus and the Big 12 are not affiliated with this website. 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. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Hometown: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2022-23 Baylor 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. When Coach Jakus understood that and told him his heart, I think that was the tipping point for Flo.. When Baylor begins its pursuit of a second national title in three years Friday at Ball Arena, pay attention to Flo Thamba. How was he so steady? People tell stories about different places and different things. All rights reserved. He was the No. 10 Baylor rallies to beat No. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. How did you make the decision to return? 17 West Virginia, drops series finale, 18-4, No. 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. 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 . 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. Outside of your parents, who were the biggest influences on your decision? FLO THAMBA NEWS. [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. 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. PTS. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Before he could process what was going on, the principal was at his desk. Dec 21, 2020. 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. 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. 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. We have players on the bench that are starters on any other team. Definitely the teams chemistry, the fact that we have a bunch of guys that love each other. 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. Thamba said he found himself having a lot of motivation to play well, and he did, as he scored 14 points against Norfolk State. Something had happened. Baylor senior big man Flo Thamba announced Monday morning that he will return for his fifth year with the Bears in 2022-23. You can learn more about Pete by visiting his personal website: PeteMundo.com. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. Flo's parents are mentioned in some places. Thamba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived in England and France during his childhood before settling in South Africa. Im proud to have a Baylor degree, Thamba writes, but there is more work to be done. There are no statistics for this selected season available for this player. I was, like, hey, listen, just be yourself. Obviously we had the tandem of me and Jon like a double punch, and obviously hes my brother. 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. Currently Thamba is an American Athlete playing basketball for Gonzaga. 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. C.J. 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. He wants to observe and understand your motives. You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard. Thamba has started all 29 of Baylor's games this season. 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. Tchamwa Tchatchoua was born in Cameroon and spent two years at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, where he first played organized basketball. It was a moment of realization, he remembers. "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. He was just clapping, Tang says. In the presence of others, he held his head high. For me its a confidence booster, Thamba says. As far as NCAA Tournament games are concerned, it wasnt the kind that immediately falls into March Madness lore, at least based on the scoreboard. As Thamba stood on the sideline, assistant coach Jerome Tang noticed something that told him where Thamba is now. He gradually earned that trust. (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. Copyright 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. [3], Thamba came off the bench during his first two years at Baylor. On his other visit, Jakus didnt talk about basketball. His twin older brothers are engineers. Those guys do a tremendous amount of things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet, Teague said. Complementing Thamba is another talented forward, redshirt senior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. I could tell hes a strong man, Flo says. We already have the chemistry, weve been together for some time. For me, my mentality never really changed. 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. Weve got this. bear2be2. 34 center by 247Sports. It started last season when he began to study Gillespie closely. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 5M; 0:17. And it was overall fun to see and stuff.". People tell stories about different places and different things. Flo Thamba. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 1Y; 2:02. He is the coauthor of "Beyond the Streak," a behind-the-scenes look at Kansas basketball's record-setting Big 12 title run. 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. His absence that season created an opportunity for Thamba, who averaged 15.2 minutes in the first 11 games following Clarks injury. The team starts off 15-0, you're at the top of the mountain. Let go get a third-straight Big 12 title and another national championship.. 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. Player Bio. He was leading the country in field-goal percentage, and the offense went through him. He has worked at Bleacher Report as the sites national college basketball writer and also covered the sport for CBSSports.com and Basketball Prospectus. Between Thamba, Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Ojianwuna, the Bears have versatile firepower in the paint. 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.. What we do takes one, two, three years sometimes for these guys, Jakus says. 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. 0:18; See All. 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. I was one of the first guys to go to the Academy. At the same time, (his return from injury) allows Flo and Jon both to compete harder and leave more out there and not worry as much about foul trouble because they have each other.. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Yall ended the season rolling, how did you guys keep going and rally to win another Big 12 regular season championship? Follow CJ on Twitter @cjmoorehoops, Thamba is making his voice heard with the Bears. Jakus made two visits to Mountain Mission that sold Thamba. It was more like moments of happiness. We have the ability.. Ignore User . If they dont come back, we still have an opportunity to be really good with the guys that we have. He ran out of the room, tumbling over the railing in a hallway that overlooked the lobby, falling four floors to his death. The Baylor coaches know Thamba is loving the experience, because hes smiling more and talking. I always play aggressive and go out there and play to the best of my ability. When we had lost to [Texas] Tech at home, that was a blow as far as us being undefeated and being at home. And, yeah, just went out there and just played. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. 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. In four seasons, Thamba has appeared in 116 games with the Bears, averaging 3.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game. Now you get a stretch big, someone who can shoot 40, 50 percent from three and that opens up the offense. I was really emotional in that moment, he said. Originally, Thambas parents and sister, Emma, had planned to fly in for the teams Senior Day home game on March 5. Because of his injury, Jon was able to spend a lot of time just working on his shot and his passing, Drew said. It went to the guy who wants to take care of the team. Wilson has countless examples of Thamba in this role. Thamba had six points (2-2 FG, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and two blocks over 18 minutes during Sunday's 85-76 loss to Creighton. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today). REB. The camaraderie was really high. In the 2021 title game, Thamba had Drew Timme in his back pocket and he continued that defensive dominance. We were able to face adversity and we still stuck together.. [4] On 26 February 2022, Thamba scored a career-high 18 points in a 80-70 victory against Kansas. 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. But, I mean, when I saw them for the first time in the stands, it was kind of weird, Thamba said. Drews method is to search for whats possible, and then take the time to develop. In some ways, this made the process more difficult for Thamba. As he copes with the 2014 death of his brother, Thamba is splitting minutes at center for the second-ranked Bears. (I) kind of shot two air balls in the warmup. His skill level is really improved. For the first time in his life, Thamba's mother and father, Emmanual Thamba and Florentine Soko-Pongi, watched their son in a Bears uniform in person as Baylor looks to become the first repeat . Entering his final postseason, Thamba and the Bears earned a top-three seed for the third-consecutive NCAA . 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. Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. 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. 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. 1:44; Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. 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. Thamba was a good soldier and performed when called upon You never had to worry that hed be too nervous or how he would respond, Drew says but he struggled internally. [2] He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor . I wanted to wear it in college, but they dont allow that. It was just his composure and how he kept his head down and kept working, Thamba says. Youd never see him sulk. 1Y; 0:18. 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. Brittany Tankersley | Photo Editor. He made sure Thamba didnt use the circumstances as a crutch or an excuse. 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 Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. 1Y; 0:16. By CJ Moore. Another brother is in finance. Ever., He was confused. Emmanual Thamba works in customs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he sent his children all over the world to study. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. 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. Every day was a mystery. 1Y; 0:16. He was bad. On Monday, senior forward Flo Thamba announced he is returning for his final season as a Baylor Bear. Thats what separates having a good season and having a great season. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Why wouldnt I take advantage of that?. Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Baylors coaches worried they were going to lose Thamba. 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. You just take with you a part of everything you see and everything you experience.. Flo Thamba throws down big slam dunk vs. Mcneese St Cowboys. He was fine, he was normal, he was an easy-going kid, and then he ate this cookie and went over the balcony. 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., If you sit down with both of them at same time, Jakus says, you see theyre really willing to serve each other and us.
Buy or Sell Tickets. Thamba doesnt try to look too far ahead, but he does have one big hoop dream that would allow him to honor his brother. One day Tristan is in practice; the next day hes not. The next morning Jakus rented a two-wheel-drive vehicle and drove four hours in 12 inches of snow to visit Thamba, who had just returned from a visit to Nebraska. The process at Baylor, particularly for big men, sometimes takes time. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. At Mountain Mission, he picked the No. 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. Here's the final tally on Russell Wilson trade between Broncos and Seahawks, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 1Y; 0:18. Flo's weight is 111 kg. Given Thambas well-traveled youth, his parents were speaking French. Baylor senior big man Flo Thamba announced Monday morning that he will return for his fifth year with the Bears in 2022-23. Flo Thamba's parents are getting to watch him play in person for the first time in his college career. Admittedly raw, he played at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. for three seasons. Sometimes all it takes is one persons encouragement to stick with it, and for Thamba, that was his older brother. Tchamwa Tchatchoua was born in Cameroon and spent two years at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, where he first played organized basketball. 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. AST. He was tall, and the middle school coach suggested he play basketball. Try a week on us. You can be down 20 or in a tie game, and Thamba's expression isn . Most players in that situation transfer. Im focused on, I belong and I can do this.. He averaged 3.6 points and four rebounds per game, helping Baylor win its first NCAA tournament title. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. According to a police report, over the next two hours, he exhibited erratic speech and hostile behavior. @BaylorMBB @ALaForce pic.twitter.com/7HfIVbOtSI. 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. 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. I told the coaches Im not going to make my decision yet, Im going to spend time with my family. 1Y; 0:22. 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. About 30 to 60 minutes after eating the first piece, he told his friends he didnt feel anything, so he ate the rest of the cookie, which contained 65 milligrams of THC 6 times the recommended serving amount. After the hot start, there was a rough patch of injuries and losses, what was that stretch like for you? The fifth-year senior with a 7-foot-5 wingspan is Baylor's heart-and-soul, and the program's all-time winningest player (115 in games played). In times of distress, Flo says, you always panic and make wrong decisions.. Before he injured his knee during Thambas freshman year, Clark had emerged as Baylors next star. 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. So Ive got to make it to the league.. The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and it was a good showing for the Big 12 Conference. 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. When I spoke to them it was about how we have an opportunity to do something really good. His first basketball memory is that he could barely dribble. There's still time to enter your women's March Madness bracket on the CBS Sports App, and big prizes are on the line! 2022-23 Big 12 Standings. Something bad has gone on.. Kind of shot two air balls in the warmup. 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. Its a combination that is hard to beat during the season. Flo Thamba goes up strong for the and-1. Some days he was the backup center and part of the rotation. 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. Find out more. Even though Baylor didnt have him for much of this season, Bears coach Scott Drew looked at the bright side. F, #0. 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. The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and it was a good showing for the Big 12 Conference. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. I want to make a difference in my culture, because I have an opportunity to do something big. Whats going through your head at that point?
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