Florent Thamba (born 25 February 1999) is a Congolese basketball player. He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 February 1999 DR Congo |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mountain Mission School (Grundy, Virginia) |
| College | Baylor (2018–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Position | Power forward / center |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Early life
editThamba 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
editThamba 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
editThamba'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
edit- ^ a b Hawkins, Stephen (31 March 2021). "Baylor bigs: Flo, 'Everyday Jon' help make Bear guards great". Associated Press. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Goodman, Jeff (23 February 2021). "Flo Thamba's Path to Waco / How Baylor Was Built". Stadium. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "No. 10 Baylor rallies to beat No. 5 Kansas 80-70 in Big 12". ESPN. Associated Press. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- ^ Moore, CJ (21 December 2020). "The tragedy that inspires Baylor center Flo Thamba". The Athletic. Retrieved 7 April 2021.