Flo Thamba

Flo Thamba
Personal information
Born (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 (age 25)
DR Congo
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High schoolMountain Mission School
(Grundy, Virginia)
CollegeBaylor (2018–2023)
NBA draft2023: undrafted
PositionPower forward / center
Career highlights and awards

Florent Thamba (born 25 February 1999) is a Congolese basketball player. He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference.

Early life

Thamba was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lived in England and France during his childhood before settling in South Africa.[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.[2] He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor over offers from Illinois, Virginia Tech and Nebraska.[3]

College career

Thamba came off the bench during his first two years at Baylor. As a freshman, he averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He averaged 2.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[3] In his junior season, Thamba became a starter for one of the top teams in the nation. He averaged 3.6 points and four rebounds per game, helping Baylor win its first NCAA tournament title.[4] On 26 February 2022, Thamba scored a career-high 18 points in a 80-70 victory against Kansas.[5]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Baylor 33 0 10.0 .538 – .533 2.2 .3 .2 .6 1.8
2019–20 Baylor 19 0 9.1 .481 – .567 2.2 .1 .1 .7 2.3
2020–21 Baylor 30 30 15.0 .563 – .617 4.0 .2 .2 .7 3.6
Career 82 30 11.6 .540 – .579 2.8 .2 .2 .7 2.6

Personal life

Thamba's father, Emmanual, works in customs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1] His older brother, Levy, fatally fell from a hotel balcony in 2014 after consuming a marijuana edible.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Hawkins, Stephen (31 March 2021). "Baylor bigs: Flo, 'Everyday Jon' help make Bear guards great". Associated Press. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  2. ^ Hayes, Tim (2 April 2021). "NCAA Final Four: Baylor's Thamba honed his skills at Grundy's Mountain Mission". Bristol Herald Courier. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b Goodman, Jeff (23 February 2021). "Flo Thamba's Path to Waco / How Baylor Was Built". Stadium. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  4. ^ Hayes, Tim (4 April 2021). "Men's College Basketball: Baylor's Flo Thamba takes to the big stage". Bristol Herald Courier. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  5. ^ "No. 10 Baylor rallies to beat No. 5 Kansas 80-70 in Big 12". ESPN. Associated Press. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  6. ^ Moore, CJ (21 December 2020). "The tragedy that inspires Baylor center Flo Thamba". The Athletic. Retrieved 7 April 2021.