By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Following Estonian guard Ker Kriisa, French big man Daniel Batcho committed to Arizona. The 18-year-old French upstart, 2020 Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade MVP, revealed his decision to ESPN on Thursday.
“I had a good connection with the coaching staff,” he mentioned, “They really understood my priorities and showed me how I could reach my goals at the university.”
Batcho represented France in the 2018 and 2019 FIBA U16 European Championships. Tore his ACL in his second international stint and missed the 2018-19 season, but worked his way back earning MVP honors at ANGT Belgrade and leading CFBB Paris to the tournament final.
“I was honored to be named MVP at ANGT Belgrade, but I wanted us to win the tournament,” he confessed, “It was a bittersweet feeling.”
His next move takes him to the NCAA and Arizona.
“I expect to be a leader, but I know that I will have to earn my stripes first,” Batcho said, “It was good to see that Arizona has had success with international players in the past. That shows they have a global understanding of the game that goes beyond the U.S. boundaries. I definitely want to keep this tradition and have success there myself.”