TALLAHASSEE – While Florida State freshman Thomas Bassong was playing for his home country of France in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland earlier this summer, a familiar face walked into the Vaudois Arena in Lausanne just before France tipped off against Cameroon in their first of seven games in the championship.

The visitor was none other than first year Seminole head coach Luke Loucks, who was there to watch one of the four true freshmen on his first Florida State roster compete against high-level players in the world championship tournament.

Bassong was well aware that Loucks had traveled 12 hours to see him in action, but the sight of his future coach in the crowd watching his France team in a 75-50 win against Cameroon filled him with joy.

“I was very happy because it showed the love Coach Loucks has for his players,” said Bassong on the day he attended his first fall semester class at Florida State in August. “I knew then that I had made the right choice about which college to attend in the United States. I knew Coach Loucks was coming because we were texting each other before the tournament began, but it was a great feeling when our eyes met.”

Bassong, who played high school basketball at the nationally renowned Our Saviour Lutheran School in New York City while also playing For the Jelly Fam squad in Overtime Elite, has long dreamed about playing college basketball in the United States.

He was born in Paris and lived in the City of Light until he was 16. It was then that he and his family realized he had a future playing the game of basketball. In hopes of furthering his basketball career, Bassong moved to the north of France, then to Lithuania where he played in one of the best youth programs in Europe. He continued his schooling as a senior in high school during the 2024-25 academic year in New York.

It was the move to New York, according to Bassong, that led him to Florida State University and the opportunity to live his life-long dream of earning a degree and playing basketball at a top institution in the United States.

“I’ve always tried to find a way to play at the best level of basketball,” said Bassong. “When I knew that I could come to the States to play and study at a such great university like Florida State, it was a blessing for me and my family.”

His family has always been the foundation of Bassong’s values, and they played a pivotal role in his decision to pick up a basketball at age 10.

 

Before that, he was a standout on the tennis court, often rallying with his twin brother, Thibault, and his father, Bruno.

 

When he was 10, his father sadly passed.

 

“My dad, my brother and I used to play tennis together,” said Bassong. “When my dad died, playing tennis didn’t make sense to me anymore. I felt empty, and began playing basketball with some of the guys from my class. From there I joined their team.”

 

Surrounded by his mother, a high school math teacher in France, his brother, and two older cousins, Bassong quickly began to thrive on the basketball court. He improved quickly and became a power player in France’s national program.

 

His first experience within the French National program was at the 2024 Adidas Next Generation Tournament. The Next Generation tournament is a competition matching the best basketball clubs in Europe.

 

Bassong’s basketball career is less than 10 years old, but he has developed into a versatile, two-way player.

“I would say I’m a two-way player,” said Bassong. “I feel like I can defend really well while also having the ability to score very well, too. The best part of my game is my versatility on offense because I feel like I can score the basketball in so many ways. My best part on the defensive side is the fact that I can guard most of the positions on the court.

“I love to defend. It’s a challenge to me to show that I have a strong desire to play defense when I am on the court.”

At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Bassong has the body type that fits in perfectly well with Loucks’ coaching philosophy.

“We are really excited about having Thomas on our roster because of his versatility,” said Loucks. “Thomas is the type of player we want to help build our program as we move forward. He has the body-type, work ethic, and skills on both ends of the court that are going to help him earn playing time.

“His jump shot is still developing, but he’s a slasher who can put it on the ground and get to the rim. He has a great amount of confidence and an athletic ability that lets him get anywhere on the floor at any time.”

Now that he has settled in to life as a college student at Florida State, Bassong has set his sights squarely on the Seminoles’ season-opener at the Donald L. Tucker Center on November 4.

“The best part about being a member of this program is how welcoming the coaching staff, my teammates, the students and faculty have been,” said Bassong. “The program Coach Loucks and his staff are building is a huge family that immediately made me feel like I was at the right place. The unique culture of Florida State is so amazing to me. I’m very happy to be here.”

The connection to his coaches and teammates also helps when you have a coach who will fly halfway around the world to watch you play.