Crimson Tide nab Tchikou to meet scholarship capacity
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (BVM) — The University of Alabama always has been and always will be a football school, thanks to legendary coach Nick Saban and countless NFL stars. But the basketball program won’t go down without a fight. Second year head coach Nate Oats has the program on the rise, with the 12th best recruiting class in the country coming to campus in the fall.
And that recruiting class just got a huge boost from a new commit, Alex “FrenTchi” Tchikou. This was a big get for the Crimson Tide, as the four-star prospect held offers from many other Division I programs. These offers included the likes of the ACC champion Florida State Seminoles, the Arizona Wildcats coached by longtime coach Sean Miller, and the rising Illinois Fighting Illini out of the Big Ten.
100% Committed. #RollTide 🙏🏾🐘❤️ pic.twitter.com/8vPHj68XCa
— Alex “FrenTchi” Tchikou (@tcalex0) July 5, 2020
Tchikou stands at 6-foot-11, 200 pounds, but plays with modern-day style. The Frenchman can stretch the floor all the way beyond the arc, and has the ability to go coast-to-coast on the dribble. Per 247 Sports, he is the No. 11 ranked power forward in the country, and No. 58 overall. However, the most impressive part of his story is that it’s just getting started.
He played just a few years of prep-level basketball, finishing up at Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Ariz. He was originally slated to graduate in 2021, but reclassified to the Class of 2020. He left his family in France back in 2018 to come to the U.S. and chase his NBA dreams. Tchikou is still a raw talent with plenty of room to improve.
“Alex is exactly the type of frontcourt player we are looking for in our system,” Oats said in a press release. “He’s long and athletic with guard skills. He can shoot and play on the perimeter as a 6-11 wing while also adding rebounding and shot-blocking in the paint.”
The Crimson Tide will have a deep roster this year, a good sign for the program moving forward. They also got a commitment from arguably the best graduate transfer this summer, Jordan Bruner. As a member of the Yale University men’s basketball team last year, he averaged a double-double. Coach Oats’ frontcourt will be considerably skilled this upcoming season.
This will be the first time UA basketball has had multiple NBA prospects since Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton was on the team in 2017-18. That team also featured John Petty, currently testing his name out in NBA draft talks, and Donta Hall, a member of the Detroit Pistons.
