INDIANAPOLIS - We know who'll they'll be rooting for tonight in Gainesville and Los Angeles. But what about in Cameroon?
While the West African nation of 16 million probably won't stay up into the wee hours huddled around a satellite TV, that doesn't mean there isn't a rooting interest in tonight's NCAA basketball championship game between Florida and UCLA.
Actually, there's two rooting interests.
Florida's sensational sophomore Joakim Noah is the son of Cameroon-born tennis star Yannick Noah and the grandson of Cameroon soccer hero Zacharie Noah.
"It's my roots,'' Noah said Sunday. "I really feel at home over there.''
Not as much at home as UCLA freshmen Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Alfred Aboya, who were born and raised in the capital city of Yaounde.
Aboya, a role player, has been hampered by knee problems. Mbah a Boute was the Pac-10 Conference freshman of the year.
You've heard of the Cameron Crazies at Duke?
UCLA has the Cameroon Crazies, a student fan club that has adopted the African imports.
"I played soccer,'' Mbah a Moute said, "but basketball, I just fell in love with it. Reading magazines and following Michael Jordan and then Kobe (Bryant) and T-Mac (Tracy McGrady).''
Back home, Mbah a Moute is a tribal prince, the son of the village chieftan. Sort of like being the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
"I don't really have anything to do,'' Mbah a Moute said, "just some ceremonies to attend.''
Noah's grandfather also is a chief. In fact, Mbah a Moute has spent weekends "chilling" at Zacharie Noah's club outside Yaounde that offers tennis, basketball and swimming.
"He's the man over there,'' Noah said of his 69-year-old grandfather. "His girlfriend's like 30 years old. He goes to the clubs. I couldn't hold up with him.''
Noah grew up in New York and France, living primarily with his mother, Cecilia Rohde, Miss Sweden of 1978 and an acclaimed sculptor. After a rough freshman year at Florida in which he mostly sat on the bench, he visited Cameroon last summer.
"It was the first time I couldn't play,'' he said, "and I had lost a little confidence. I needed to go to Africa, to be around family.''
Mbah a Moute could have easily been Noah's teammate. He spent two years in prep school near Orlando, but never got a firm offer from the Gators.
The international flavor of Los Angeles and UCLA's academic reputation was attractive and now the Bruins have a player who is improving almost from one week to the next.
Noah looks forward to talking to swapping Cameroon stories with Mbah a Moute, but not until after the final horn.
"Right now,'' Noah said, "he's the enemy.''
