He ran out of the room, tumbling over the railing in a hallway that overlooked the lobby, falling four floors to his death. When he got to Baylor, he had to pay dues,. 0:18; See All. Join our linker program. Naturally, the emotions were flowing for Thamba, who broke into a starting role one year ago, upon seeing them in the grandstands Thursday. 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. Hey, get off your phone. I could tell hes a strong man, Flo says. We have players on the bench that are starters on any other team. From the outside, they always feel like its a one-man position, but in reality, were a two-headed snake.. His skill level is really improved. 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. 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. I was, like, Hey, listen, just be yourself. But he saw a bigger picture, Thamba said. 1Y; 0:18. But the thing that sticks with us the most was the togetherness we had. Flo Thamba, the winningest player in Baylor MBB history, talks about growing up overseas, helping develop the next generation of Bears, chasing another title, and most importantly photography Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. His parents had a great seat at Dickies Arena and even got some face time during the national broadcast of the game. 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. We kind of took it with a grain of salt. We had the potential to be in the same conversation, even when you cut down a quarter of our roster with everyone being hurt.. But he kept waking up and was incoherent, at one point talking to a room lamp. Some days he was the backup center and part of the rotation. I want to make a difference in my culture, because I have an opportunity to do something big. That was about five years ago and far from the NCAA Final Four. 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. 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. Flo progressed quickly. 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. It's more like just that little brother who's the youngest in the household. The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and it was a good showing for the Big 12 Conference. I know somebodys coming in who is going to bring the same amount of energy. 2,007 Views | 18 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by DanaDane. March 22, 2023. Powered by Capitol Presence & Olympus Cloud. Then Thamba was willing to work on himself. But that truth, and those circumstances, were difficult. Flos our anchor, senior guard Adam Flagler said. 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. ANALYSIS. You just take with you a part of everything you see and everything you experience.. The report said he awoke early that morning, shivering and speaking French. 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. By CJ Moore. He was fine, he was normal, he was an easy-going kid, and then he ate this cookie and went over the balcony. Keeler: Ugly side of Deion Sanders Effect? 2022-23 Big 12 Standings. For me, something big is making a difference in someones life., Baylor baseball swept by No. It was the way Thamba cared that made Wilson love him so much. Flo Thamba goes up strong for the and-1. [3] In his junior season, Thamba became a starter for one of the top teams in the nation. He is the coauthor of "Beyond the Streak," a behind-the-scenes look at Kansas basketball's record-setting Big 12 title run. 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. His first basketball memory is that he could barely dribble. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Later, he woke up again and left the fourth-floor room and then returned, telling his friends, This is a sign from God that this has happened, that I cant control myself. Ever., He was confused. Posted on March 17, 2022. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Joined: Aug 3, 2017 Posts: 14,065 User Profile. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Baylor vs Iowa State Cyclones Ferrell Center - Sat 3/4 Tickets as low as $9. 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. 5.2. Florent Thamba (born 25 February 1999) is a Congolese college basketball player for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference. 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. After the hot start, there was a rough patch of injuries and losses, what was that stretch like for you? 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. He was bad. Come on fellas. Wilson has countless examples of Thamba in this role. 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 . He currently resides in Kansas City where he is a talk show host and program director at KCMO Talk Radio. He even considered it. The process at Baylor, particularly for big men, sometimes takes time. 10 prospect among schools from the state of Virginia, regardless of position. Find out more. CJ Moore 8 . Thamba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived in England and France during his childhood before settling in South Africa. There are no statistics for this selected season available for this player. Complementing Thamba is another talented forward, redshirt senior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard. 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. 1:44; Flo Thamba muscles in for and-1 basket. Baylors coaches worried they were going to lose Thamba. We definitely repeat. PTS. 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. 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. 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. Thamba had another older brother who would wait for hours after school to ride the bus home with him. It was a moment of realization, he remembers. 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. Thats pretty unique.. This ability to be steady no matter the situation is why Thamba is still at Baylor. You can learn more about Pete by visiting his personal website: PeteMundo.com. It's just like 'man we get to celebrate this thing together. Thamba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived in England and France during his childhood before settling in South Africa. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Flo knows his father probably had his moments alone when he allowed himself to grieve, but he never saw his dad cry. Hes different than a lot of kids now. 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). 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. 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. His twin older brothers are engineers. 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. 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. We also had LJ [Cryer] on the bench, and he was leading our team in scoring for the first half of the season. And for his son Flo, this wasnt going to stop him from chasing his dreams. The Los Angeles Chargers love themselves some TCU football. Every day was a mystery. 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 . Hes averaging 4.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. After Im done playing I want to open up a nonprofit thats going to have a partnership to give clean water to Africa. Flo's parents are mentioned in some places. 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. He was being the biggest cheerleader and leader.. From watching his father, he says. 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 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. Other days he was a third-stringer. The Oklahoma Sooners are Big 12 softball champions, once again, after an 8-2 win over the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday. 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. He is a member of the BBWAA and PFWA. Thamba doesnt try to look too far ahead, but he does have one big hoop dream that would allow him to honor his brother. Most players in that situation transfer. Hometown: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo High School: Mountain Mission School School: Baylor (Men) More player info The coaching staff as a whole, but for me the most important thing was my teammates. His father is Emmanuel Thamba and his mother's name is Flarentine Soko-Pongi. Flo Thamba's parents are getting to watch him play in person for the first time in his college career. But, overall, its just amazing having them around.. For me its a confidence booster, Thamba says. . 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today). We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Find Tickets. All rights reserved. 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 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. We were able to face adversity and we still stuck together.. The camaraderie was really high. What were the biggest factors? 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. Do you have a sports website? Before he could process what was going on, the principal was at his desk. 1Y; 2:02. Hes had lights on him and had to figure it out.. People tell stories about different places and different things. It was early Tuesday in Cameroon whenBaylor beat Arkansasin 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. 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. Wilson found out years ago that Thamba wants the truth. Something had happened. Just keep going. Fully healthy, what would this team have been? 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. 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 2017-22 Heartland College Sports. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. 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. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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