INDIANAPOLIS “”mdash; The families of UCLA’s Alfred Aboya
and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will watch the Bruin freshmen compete
in Monday’s national championship game live back in their
native Cameroon.
And two days later, they’ll watch for the first time the
Bruins beating Louisiana State (LSU) in the Final Four to get
there.
“No, they won’t be confused,” said Aboya, who
plans on calling his family tonight to explain it to them and tell
them to watch.
UCLA’s matchup with Florida in the national championship
game Monday night will be the first Bruin game this season
televised live over the Atlantic to Cameroon.
That also means it could be the first time Aboya’s parents
have watched him play basketball live. But it won’t be the
first time they’ve seen him play. That would have been on
March 22 of this year, when his family and his neighbors
congregated to watch a delayed broadcast of the Bruins’
victory over Alabama.
According to Aboya, UCLA’s games since the second round of
the NCAA Tournament have been broadcast back in Cameroon nearly
four to five days later. The freshman didn’t let his
two-point performance downplay the game’s significance back
home.
“I didn’t do much that game,” Aboya said.
“But it’s exciting for me. To be able to represent my
country, and see people that I grew up with, that I played with to
be excited about what I’m doing over here, it’s a great
feeling.”
But basketball doesn’t capture the Cameroonian audience as
much as another sport ““ soccer. When asked what his parents
thought of him competing in the final game of the NCAA Tournament
and having a shot at a national title on college basketball’s
biggest stage, Aboya responded, “not much,
probably.”
Aboya’s parents may have had the opportunity to watch
their son play live Saturday in UCLA’s 59-45 victory over
LSU, but according to Mbah a Moute, French-owned cable companies
opted to show Florida against George Mason because of Gator Joakim
Noah’s connection to France.
The Florida sophomore center, son of famous tennis player
Yannick Noah of French and Cameroonian descent, spent 10 years in
France growing up.
Deciding which game to show on Monday won’t be a problem
““ there’s only one.
Because Cameroon is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time,
Aboya’s and Mbah a Moute’s families will likely have to
stay up until 2:30 a.m. to watch.