He was fine, he was normal, he was an easy-going kid, and then he ate this cookie and went over the balcony. Learning that lesson of staying composed, facing all your battles. Thamba has the most Big 12 wins in program history (55) and is Baylor's all-time leader in both games played (114) and career wins (123). You can learn more about Pete by visiting his personal website: PeteMundo.com. Copyright 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. When he checked the ball -- firing it at his brother's legs -- that will resonate with plenty of viewers. Flo Thamba throws down big slam dunk vs. Mcneese St Cowboys. Flos been playing since he was a freshman. Its not because of the weed.. 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. And, yeah, just went out there and just played. 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. We definitely repeat. Between Thamba, Tchamwa Tchatchoua and Ojianwuna, the Bears have versatile firepower in the paint. 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. NEWS BIO SOCIAL STATS VIDEOS GAME LOG. Those guys do a tremendous amount of things that go unnoticed on the stat sheet, Teague said. And it was overall fun to see and stuff.". This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Plus, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchouashould return from his knee injury earlier this season, giving Baylor a strong squad yet again in 2022-23. 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. 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. It's hard to gain trust with Flo Thamba. The biggest reason for my decision was my academics. 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. His best game of the 2021 season came [] Because of his injury, Jon was able to spend a lot of time just working on his shot and his passing, Drew said. Hometown: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo High School: Mountain Mission School School: Baylor (Men) More player info 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. Baylors coaches worried they were going to lose Thamba. The team starts off 15-0, youre at the top of the mountain. His twin older brothers are engineers. 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. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. C.J. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Keeler: Ugly side of Deion Sanders Effect? 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. Yall ended the season rolling, how did you guys keep going and rally to win another Big 12 regular season championship? The process at Baylor, particularly for big men, sometimes takes time. He gradually earned that trust. We were able to face adversity and we still stuck together.. After last season, the process started to play out as it should. [2] He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor over offers from Illinois, Virginia Tech and Nebraska. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 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. 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. I was really emotional in that moment, he said. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Now you get a stretch big, someone who can shoot 40, 50 percent from three and that opens up the offense. Most players in that situation transfer. 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.. Levi and his friends took the cookies back to their hotel. It was more seeing him go down, thats what ripped me apart.. Just keep going. I told the coaches Im not going to make my decision yet, Im going to spend time with my family. 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. 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. Playing (for the NBA Global Academy) allowed me to dream and see myself in these shoes, Tchamwa Tchatchoua said. We have the ability.. [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. His sister is in England now and working on getting her law degree. Last year was hard. Next season, what do you see from this team? And it was overall fun to see and stuff.. Thamba, who has started all 28 games, and Tchamwa Tchatchoua combine to average 9.9 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 10 prospect among schools from the state of Virginia, regardless of position. Kispert is presumed to be a first-round draft pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, since he was one of the best players for the Bulldogs all season. 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. Rounding out Baylors trio of African big men is freshman Josh Ojianwuna, a 6-foot-10 forward from Nigeria. 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. F, #0. Its hard to gain trust with Flo Thamba. Obviously we had the tandem of me and Jon like a double punch, and obviously hes my brother. Everything is flowing; obviously we had some issues here and there, but everything was just clicking. Thamba had another older brother who would wait for hours after school to ride the bus home with him. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 0:18; See All. The two, who met in 2016 in Africa at a Basketball without Borders camp, share a special bond. In January 2014, Levi moved to the United States to attend college. 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. Another brother is in finance. They basically just see stuff, smile and then that's their communication language. Tchamwa Tchatchoua was born in Cameroon and spent two years at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, where he first played organized basketball. 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. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. [2] He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor . The Los Angeles Chargers love themselves some TCU football. 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 . . 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. The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and it was a good showing for the Big 12 Conference. In a way, he wasnt so guarded when he got to Baylor because of the way Jakus had recruited him. 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. Especially after the Villanova game where we just smacked them, I was like, Man, nothing can stop us now.. 10 Baylor rallies to beat 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.. Youd never see him sulk. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Fully healthy, what would this team have been? bear2be2. His actual height is 6 feet and 10 inches. Definitely the teams chemistry, the fact that we have a bunch of guys that love each other. 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. Even though Baylor didnt have him for much of this season, Bears coach Scott Drew looked at the bright side. "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. What was the feeling in the locker room after dropping a crazy one to the University of North Carolina? As an athlete, saying big means championship, but thats just a little piece of metal. But he saw a bigger picture, Thamba said. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. So why is he still here, starting now on one of the best teams in college basketball? He wants to play in the NBA, and if he gets there he plans to wear the jersey No. 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. He had written an essay to qualify for an international scholarship program. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Flo Thamba goes up strong for the and-1. Just having that perspective, Ive seen a lot of kids not even have access to water in their household. 2,007 Views | 18 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by DanaDane. 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. 5M; 0:17. Flo Thamba goes up strong for the and-1. Baylor senior big man Flo Thamba announced Monday morning that he will return for his fifth year with the Bears in 2022-23. Baylor routs rival Texas at home. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 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? 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. I really didnt know what the Final Four meant before I even came to Baylor, he said. Admittedly raw, he played at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. for three seasons. Kyle Newman is a sportswriter for The Denver Post, a position hes held since 2016. He was leading the country in field-goal percentage, and the offense went through him. The fifth-year senior with a 7-foot-5 wingspan is Baylors heart-and-soul, and the programs all-time winningest player (115 in games played). I could tell hes a strong man, Flo says. Entering his final postseason, Thamba and the Bears earned a top-three seed for the third-consecutive NCAA . Complementing Thamba is another talented forward, redshirt senior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. It's just like 'man we get to celebrate this thing together. Thats what separates having a good season and having a great season. Something had happened. The two, who met in 2016 in Africa at a Basketball without Borders camp, share a special bond. I really didnt know what the Final Four meant before I even came to Baylor, he said. Flo knows his father probably had his moments alone when he allowed himself to grieve, but he never saw his dad cry. 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.. 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. 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. 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.. 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. 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. 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. Jakus made two visits to Mountain Mission that sold Thamba. As a freshman, he averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. So anytime hes locked in and hes flying around out there, everybody is going to feel it. Levi went back to sleep, but then woke up again crazy, his friends told police. He didnt speak English at the time, only French and his mother tongue. He came into it with expectations that he was going to play and play a lot.. Something bad has gone on.. The 6-foot-8 Cameroon native sustained a serious knee injury last year. 1Y; 2:02. That was about five years ago and far from the NCAA Final Four. 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. But its not the same when you actually get to experience it, Thamba said. 17 West Virginia, drops series finale, 18-4, No. Thamba said he found himself having a lot of motivation to play well, and he did, as he scored 14 points against Norfolk State. 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. Outside of your parents, who were the biggest influences on your decision? The other player who has not been the horse we expected defensively is Flo Thamba. 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. A person watching the game might say these guards are really good, but actually our bigs make us really good.. 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. We had the potential to be in the same conversation, even when you cut down a quarter of our roster with everyone being hurt.. 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In the presence of others, he held his head high. . Thamba loves Wilson likes a second father. At a recent Baylor practice, Thamba tweaked his knee and had to sit out for a few minutes.
