Scott Drew says Adam Flagler, Flo Thamba 'raised the standards' at Baylor

Adam Flagler and Flo Thamba played their likely final games in green and yellow for in the team’s Round of 32 loss to Creighton. Flagler has one more year of eligibility remaining but he will likely move on to the pro ranks.

But players played a key role in the Bears winning their first-ever National Championship in 2021. Head coach Scott Drew had high praise for the two upperclassmen

“Great individuals, represented the university tremendously, great memories, and blessed to be able to work with them,” Drew said. “They’ve done a lot for our program, raised the standards, and always carried themselves in the utmost professional manner.”

Flagler finished his career with a 15-point outing against the Bluejays in the Round of 32. He shot 6 of 14 from the field. Thamba added six points, three rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes of action.

LJ Cryer tied a game-high with 30 points for the Bears but it wasn’t enough to keep sixth-seeded Creighton from pulling the upset. Ryan Nembhard had 30 to lead the Bluejays to the 85-76 victory.

Adam Flagler, Flo Thamba have had historic Baylor careers

Adam Flagler and Flo Thamba have both had memorable Baylor careers.

Thamba earned a bench role after arriving in Waco, Texas, as a freshman, averaging 10.0 minutes per game in his first year on campus. He had a similar role as a sophomore, albeit playing in less games before breaking into the starting lineup his junior year.

He has started every game this past three seasons for the Bears. Thamba averaged 5.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season.

Flagler arrived as a transfer from Presbyterian after his freshman season. With the Blue Hose, he averaged 15.9 points per game.

He redshirted that first year before becoming the team’s star sixth man during the national championship season. Despite averaging just 22.8 minutes per game, Flagler scored 9.1 points per game, which was fourth-most on the team.

Moving into the starting lineup last year, Flagler has become one of the best guards in the conference. He earned an All-Big 12 Second Team selection last year and an All-Big 12 First Team selection this season.

This year, Flagler averaged 15.6 points per game while also dishing out a career-high 4.6 assists per game.