Dave Telep has an interesting article up about
a European discovery, a 7-0 Belgian kid named Dydyer M-Benga Ylunga, a
native of Zaire, whcih was formerly, and now is again, known as the Congo.
Actually it may have been the Congo then and Congo now, or at least that is what
the winner of the recent Civil War there calls it . Whatever you call it,
the region is at the heart of a huge conflict which has been called the first
African World War, so no doubt Dydyer M-Benga Ylunga and his family are happy to
be in Belgium.
Telep says he has only been playing for about six months but shows
flashes. That reminds us vaguely of Hakeem Olajuwon. If you remember
seeing him as a freshman, he was tentative and awkward, and while he was said to
be a sensational prospect, you didn't see it at the time.
Small tangent: Norm Sloan could have had Hakeem at State. Nick Pond, a
lifer at WRAL, had a brother who was based in Africa for either a government or
a UN or a charitable organization who tried to sell Sloan on Hakeem, but Sloan,
for whatever reason, wouldn't bite, and Hakeem ended up in Houston. There
was another kid whose athleticism was reminiscent of David Thompson, and Sloan
took a pass on him too. We don't know what happened to him but obviously not the
NBA.
Anyway, it's an interesting story. You'd think Dave Odom would be all over
this deal.