flo thamba brother

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. You must be a subscriber to . But, I mean, when I saw them for the first time in the stands, it was kind of weird, Thamba said. 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. 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. 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. Its not because of the weed.. Other days he was a third-stringer. Naturally, the emotions were flowing for Thamba, who broke into a starting role one year ago, upon seeing them in the grandstands Thursday. 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. Thambas made 96 consecutive starts entering the tournament, and is averaging 5.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. In January 2014, Levi moved to the United States to attend college. 3 Bears, who take on No. "He was the one who . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. In some ways, this made the process more difficult for Thamba. 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. 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 . [4] On 26 February 2022, Thamba scored a career-high 18 points in a 80-70 victory against Kansas. 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. Is there anything better than cold beer and baseball? We cheer for each other every time. 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. All rights reserved. The other player who has not been the horse we expected defensively is Flo Thamba. In the presence of others, he held his head high. The 6-foot-10 senior saw his playing time shrink with reserve big man . Flo's parents are mentioned in some places. Instead, he figured out why and analyzed the small details including defensive positioning and the way Gillespie communicated defensively that made him so successful. 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, overall, this is fun. When we had lost to [Texas] Tech at home, that was a blow as far as us being undefeated and being at home. His first basketball memory is that he could barely dribble. 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. Stoic is the word his coaches use. We have players on the bench that are starters on any other team. 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. He came into it with expectations that he was going to play and play a lot.. His parents had a great seat at Dickies Arena and even got some face time during the national broadcast of the game. 17 West Virginia, drops series finale, 18-4, No. There's still time to enter your women's March Madness bracket on the CBS Sports App, and big prizes are on the line! [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. 1Y; 2:02. What we do takes one, two, three years sometimes for these guys, Jakus says. 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. 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. Complementing Thamba is another talented forward, redshirt senior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. He ran out of the room, tumbling over the railing in a hallway that overlooked the lobby, falling four floors to his death. This page is not available in other languages. Flo spent time in England as a child and eventually moved to South Africa, where he started playing basketball. I sat out and could watch and learn, Gillespie says. 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 According to a police report, over the next two hours, he exhibited erratic speech and hostile behavior. 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. And it was overall fun to see and stuff.. He has worked at Bleacher Report as the sites national college basketball writer and also covered the sport for CBSSports.com and Basketball Prospectus. For them, it's just more like family environments, it's like having fun, like we enjoyed it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It was back when the two still-growing and raw players from different [] Is there anything better than cold beer and baseball? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. His absence that season created an opportunity for Thamba, who averaged 15.2 minutes in the first 11 games following Clarks injury. Im focused on, I belong and I can do this.. 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. 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. Its something Im proud of and I cherish.. 34 overall center prospect in his cycle and the No. It's just like 'man we get to celebrate this thing together. You just take with you a part of everything you see and everything you experience.. When Baylor begins its pursuit of a second national title in three years Friday at Ball Arena, pay attention to Flo Thamba. We just had so many weapons. You just take with you a part of everything you see and everything you experience.. From watching his father, he says. Kind of shot two air balls in the warmup. And this was not a kid who was suicidal., Flo was heartbroken and unsure where he would go from there. 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. Obviously we had the tandem of me and Jon like a double punch, and obviously hes my brother. Hes different than a lot of kids now. Flo's weight is 111 kg. Its why Drew often redshirts his big men. Whats going through your head at that point? @BaylorMBB @ALaForce pic.twitter.com/7HfIVbOtSI. If you go back through, like a Cory Jefferson, youve got to get really high-character kids that want to love Baylor and not rent us.. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. AST. 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 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. The two, who met in 2016 in Africa at a Basketball without Borders camp, share a special bond. By CJ Moore. 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. You can be down 20 or in a tie game, and Thambas expression isnt going to change. ANALYSIS. But its not the same when you actually get to experience it, Thamba said. 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 we give him one more [award ball] we won't have anymore to practice with," Drew quipped. 1:44; Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. 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 police report, which didnt name Levi, said he was marijuana-naive. The coroner listed marijuana intoxication as a significant condition contributing to his death. Weve got this. On his other visit, Jakus didnt talk about basketball. 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. The biggest reason for my decision was my academics. Thats always been a goal of mine, Thamba says. That doesnt happen with 17, 18-year-olds who can request and then sit down and have a mature conversation about something bigger than themselves, Wilson says. C.J. Brittany Tankersley | Photo Editor. VividSeats. 1Y; 0:18. Just be yourself, everything will take care of it. And, yeah, (I) just went out there and just played. Emmanual focused on what was next. From the outside, they always feel like its a one-man position, but in reality, were a two-headed snake.. Ojianwuna previously played for NBA Academy Africa as well as the NBA Global Academy before landing at Baylor. Another brother is in finance. . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. His twin older brothers are engineers. Kevin Durant moped. He averaged 3.6 points and four rebounds per game, helping Baylor win its first NCAA tournament title. After the hot start, there was a rough patch of injuries and losses, what was that stretch like for you? 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. Currently Thamba is an American Athlete playing basketball for Gonzaga. What are your plans for after college, what are you striving for? 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. Check out this pick and roll between Adam Flagler and Flo Thamba. 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. After basketball, I have a lot of things that I want to do. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Education was always the biggest priority in the Thamba household. You can learn more about Pete by visiting his personal website: PeteMundo.com. 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. Dec 21, 2020. 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. 0:16; Baylor hands Kansas 3rd straight loss. For the first time in his life, Thambas 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 national champion since Florida won-back-to-back titles from 2006-07. 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. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thamba lived in South Africa, France and England before making his way to the United States in 2014. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. Definitely the teams chemistry, the fact that we have a bunch of guys that love each other. own battles while returning from a knee injury. Do you have a blog? After Im done playing I want to open up a nonprofit thats going to have a partnership to give clean water to Africa. After last season, the process started to play out as it should. And it was overall fun to see and stuff.". Entering his final postseason, Thamba and the Bears earned a top-three seed for the third-consecutive NCAA . Even though Baylor didnt have him for much of this season, Bears coach Scott Drew looked at the bright side. Hes had lights on him and had to figure it out.. I want to make a difference in my culture, because I have an opportunity to do something big. Before he could process what was going on, the principal was at his desk. Thamba, who has started all 28 games, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua combine to average 9.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. Do you have a sports website? 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. Now you get a stretch big, someone who can shoot 40, 50 percent from three and that opens up the offense. I never left boarding school, Flo says. Everything is flowing; obviously we had some issues here and there, but everything was just clicking. It's more like just that little brother who's the youngest in the household. But for us, Im starting and then youre thinking, Okay the bench guy is coming in, but the bench guy is Jon and hes coming to dunk on you. 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 was the one who believed in my basketball dreams, Flo says. 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. At times that was really hard because you ask any player in college and all theyre thinking about is the NBA. And, yeah, just went out there and just played. Thamba said he found himself having a lot of motivation to play well, and he did, as he scored 14 points against Norfolk State. You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. Buy . Flo knows his father probably had his moments alone when he allowed himself to grieve, but he never saw his dad cry. For me its a confidence booster, Thamba says. 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. When you look at the overall picture, why not? But the thing that sticks with us the most was the togetherness we had. CJ Moore 8 . Tchamwa Tchatchoua was born in Cameroon and spent two years at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, where he first played organized basketball. When [Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua] went down, how did that impact your mentality and the way you approached every game? "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. Baylor senior big man Flo Thamba announced Monday morning that he will return for his fifth year with the Bears in 2022-23. Hes averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. 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. They open up the tap and nothing comes out. Thamba has started all 29 of Baylor's games this season. 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. Flos been playing since he was a freshman. He was being the biggest cheerleader and leader.. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. 10 prospect among schools from the state of Virginia, regardless of position. Rounding out Baylors trio of African big men is freshman Josh Ojianwuna, a 6-foot-10 forward from Nigeria. Levi had traveled to Denver with some new friends for a spring break trip. His sister is in England now and working on getting her law degree. When I spoke to them it was about how we have an opportunity to do something really good. I always play aggressive and go out there and play to the best of my ability. 0 because Wilson identified that as a number of responsibility. Im proud to have a Baylor degree, Thamba writes, but there is more work to be done. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today). Those guys do a tremendous amount of things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet, Teague said. Just having that perspective, Ive seen a lot of kids not even have access to water in their household. But he kept waking up and was incoherent, at one point talking to a room lamp. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. Flo Thamba's parents are getting to watch him play in person for the first time in his college career. Sometimes all it takes is one persons encouragement to stick with it, and for Thamba, that was his older brother. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. I just felt like it really meant something.. 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. Thats pretty unique.. It was more like moments of happiness. I was, like, Hey, listen, just be yourself. C.J. So why is he still here, starting now on one of the best teams in college basketball? 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. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 1Y; 0:16. He didnt speak English at the time, only French and his mother tongue. At a recent Baylor practice, Thamba tweaked his knee and had to sit out for a few minutes. I was one of the first guys to go to the Academy. (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. 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. Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. The two, who met in 2016 in Africa at a Basketball without Borders camp, share a special bond. He is the coauthor of "Beyond the Streak," a behind-the-scenes look at Kansas basketball's record-setting Big 12 title run. 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. 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. 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. They basically just see stuff, smile and then that's their communication language. 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 principal took his phone and later that day his uncle showed up to pick him up at boarding school. Between Thamba, Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Ojianwuna, the Bears have versatile firepower in the paint. That was about five years ago and far from the NCAA Final Four. 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. Joined: Aug 3, 2017 Posts: 14,065 User Profile. 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. [5], Thamba's father, Emmanual, works in customs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Copyright 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. @BaylorMBB @ALaForce pic.twitter.com/7HfIVbOtSI. Flo Thamba throws down big slam dunk vs. Mcneese St Cowboys. Something bad has gone on.. The Los Angeles Chargers love themselves some TCU football. There are no statistics for this selected season available for this player. The sales clerk instructed him to cut each cookie into sixths with each piece containing approximately 10 milligrams of THC, which was the recommended serving size. Come on fellas. If they dont come back, we still have an opportunity to be really good with the guys that we have. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Thamba told reporters Wednesday ahead of the game, . The camaraderie was really high. We have guys that bought into the whole program, we just would have been different. Levi and his friends took the cookies back to their hotel. "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 first was after a heartbreaking loss to West Virginia in January 2018. Jeremy [Sochan] is like a swiss army knife, he can shoot the three, he could play the four and he could play the five. You look at any championship team, there must be guys who really love each other.. REB. 212 by Dallas Cowboys in NFL Draft, Eric Gray Selected No. But, I mean, when I saw them for the first time in the stands, it was kind of weird. It would have been easy to resent his teammate, who two years ago was behind him in the pecking order. Cole Park in Tyler, CASH CATTLE: How Texas ranchers are beefing up their, Suspects names released in connection to Jasper, Las Vegas Raiders draft former West Rusk Raider Tyree, UPDATE: Shelby County officials found Louisiana woman, It was worth the wait Arps Demarvion Overshown, Hudson Legrow: CHRISTUS Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Smith County Childrens Advocacy Center recognized, KETK Rise & Shine CTCU Coffee Mug Giveaway, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. I told the coaches Im not going to make my decision yet, Im going to spend time with my family. Baylor senior big man Flo Thamba announced Monday morning that he will return for his fifth year with the Bears in 2022-23. It was a moment of realization, he remembers. As a freshman, he averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. You can learn more about Pete by visiting his personal website: PeteMundo.com. 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. 2022-23 Big 12 Standings. For me, my mentality never really changed. As Thamba stood on the sideline, assistant coach Jerome Tang noticed something that told him where Thamba is now. 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.. In different circumstances, last season might have played out differently.

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