Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
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| Luc Richard Mbah a Moute | |
|---|---|
| College | UCLA |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Forward |
| Class | Junior |
| Career | 2005 – present |
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Nationality |  Cameroon |
| Born | September 9, 1986 Yaounde |
| High school | Montverde Academy, Montverde, FL |
| Awards | |
| 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year | |
Luc Richard Mbah a Mouté (born 9 September 1986 in Yaounde, Cameroon) is a 6' 8" Cameroonian basketball player who plays for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins in the Pacific Ten Conference of the NCAA. He is the twin brother of Emmanuel Bidias a Mouté, who plays basketball for UCSB. Mbah a Mouté is a prince in his native village of Bia Messe (near Yaounde)[1], as he is a son of the elected village chief, Camille Mouté à Bidias. His father is a high-ranking government official, managing the National Employment Fund of Cameroon, a training and job-placement national agency.
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[edit] College career
From Montverde Academy in Florida, Mbah a Mouté led the Pac-10 Champion Bruins in rebounding as a freshman. Mbah a Mouté led or tied for the lead for the Bruins in rebounding in 27 regular season games. In the NCAA tournament, Mbah a Mouté scored the winning layup at the end of a comeback win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16. Mbah a Mouté also posted 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist in a Final Four victory over LSU. For the year, Mbah a Mouté averaged 8.9 points and 8.1 rebounds.
He has become something of a cult phenomenon among the UCLA faithful. Along with fellow Cameroonian Alfred Aboya, the dynamic duo have sparked the "Cameroon Crazies" (a take-off of Duke's "Cameron Crazies" fans) section, along with an enormously popular t-shirt which reads "Moute Kicks Boute".[2].
His mother, Goufane a Ziem Agnes Bertine, and his father, Camille Mouté à Bidias had never seen him play for UCLA, until they came from Cameroon to attend the Final Four of the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[3]
[edit] Awards and Recognition
- Mbah a Mouté was named the Freshman of the Year in the Pacific Ten Conference, edging Arizona freshman Marcus Williams.
[edit] Recent
Mbah a Moute will enter the NBA Draft, but won't hire an agent right away, keeping him eligible to return to UCLA for his senior year.[4]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Daily Bruin article Cameroon Calling Accessed July 20, 2006
- ^ USA Today article about the Bruins which includes information about the Cameroon Crazies Accessed July 20, 2006
- ^ Diane Pucin and Mike Hiserman - UCLA's Collison has had enough of 'One Shining Moment'. Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2008
- ^ UCLA's Mbah a Moute the latest Bruin to enter NBA draft. Sports Illustrated (2008-04-18). Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
