History Made as Matisse Thybulle and Team Australia Win Bronze at the Olympics
TOKYO -- Washington Husky men's basketball alum Matisse Thybulle (2015-2019) helped lead Team Australia to a bronze medal Saturday at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
History was made as Australia would take home their first-ever medal in men's basketball.
?? HISTORY MADE ??
The Boomers have done it- Australia have secured their first ever men's basketball Olympic medal!
The bronze is coming home! ????#Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/ngxiYRwHdk
— Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) August 7, 2021
Thybulle got his first start of the Olympic Games and finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals as Australia defeated Slovenia 107-93. He went 5-6 from the field. Before the bronze medal game, Thybulle led all Olympians in total steals (15) and steals per game (3.0).
Thybulle was picked 20th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, going in the first round to the Boston Celtics with a proposed trade to the Philadelphia 76ers. He has been with the Sixers since.
The former National Defensive Player of the Year and Husky standout Thybulle was a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and finished his senior season at Washington in 2019 with 126 steals and 83 blocks for a combined takeaway total of 209, which led the country. His 126 steals set the Pac-12 Conference single-season record which was previously held by Jason Kidd of Cal (1992-93) and are the 10th most in a single-season in NCAA history. He led the nation throughout most of the year and finished with the country's best average of 3.50 steals per game. For his career, Thybulle became the owner of the UW steals record of 331 which passed Gary Payton, who had held the Pac-12 career record for 30 years (321 steals, Oregon State, 1986-90).
Thybulle started every game during his UW career, a streak of 135 games, and finished with 1,240 career points, which ranks 28th all-time at Washington. He helped Washington reach its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2010-11 season as the Huskies finished with a 27-9 mark on the year, its most wins since 2004-05.
OLYMPIC MEDALIST?
?????? Congrats to @MatisseThybulle on winning BRONZE with Team Australia at the Tokyo Olympics! #TougherTogether x #OlympiansMadeHere #Tokyo2020 ?? @GettySport pic.twitter.com/RdHWuZ04yw
— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) August 7, 2021