Túlio da Silva joins Mengão! The 24-year-old power forward arrives from the US for the team he loves most.
Standing 2,03m tall and having played for the Brazilian youth team, the athlete played for Missouri State University.
By Helena Petry - inFrom Missouri to Mengão! After living in the United States for five years, power forward Túlio da Silva is signed by FlaBasquete. Born in Formiga, Minas Gerais, the newest Flamengo player left for Florida in 2014 to join the Arlington Country Day School team. After graduating, he went on to play for South Florida University, where he played from 2015 to 2018, before transferring to Missouri State University.
Repatriated by Flamengo, Túlio signs a two-year contract. Having played for the Brazilian youth national team, he is excited about his arrival at the club and hopes to return to playing in Brazilian basketball.
"I feel happy and very excited! It will be a great opportunity and honor. I hope to win many titles wearing the Sacred Mantle and play my best every time I wear the Mengão jersey," said the athlete.
Regarding adapting to Brazilian basketball, Túlio isn't worried. Accustomed to playing with great athletes, he believes he won't have any problems.
"I think it will be easier because basketball in the United States is more athletic, physical, and fast. I also think that all the experience I had here in college, playing against and alongside high-caliber players, such as those from the NBA and Europe, gave me more experience to improve and perfect my game," he commented. "I've always trained and played my best to achieve my goals, and I believe that if you always fight hard and put in the extra hours, you will reap the rewards in the future."
Túlio da Silva averaged 9,9 points and 7,1 rebounds per game in 31 appearances during the 2019/20 NCAA qualifying season. His personal best in his senior year came in February against Illinois State, when he scored 22 points in 25 minutes of play. In November, he had a season-high 17 rebounds against Miami. The red-and-black player has averaged 10,64 points and 6,81 rebounds throughout his NCAA career.