Arizona lands top European big man Daniel Batcho
Arizona has added another international prospect to its 2020 recruiting class.
Top European big man Daniel Batcho has committed to the Wildcats for the upcoming collegiate season, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Thursday.
"I had a good connection with the coaching staff," Batcho told Givony. "They really understood my priorities and showed me how I could reach my goals at the university."
Batcho claimed MVP honors at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade in February.
The 6-foot-10 forward represented France at the 2018 FIBA U16 European Championships, averaging 8.8 points and seven boards. Batcho also played in the country's third-division domestic league this past season.
He joins fellow international Arizona commits Kerr Kriisa of Estonia and Haitian-Canadian wing Ben Mathurin.
Wildcats head coach Sean Miller has a solid track history with foreign players, including former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton and Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls.
"It was good to see that Arizona has had success with international players in the past," Batcho said. "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."
Arizona's freshman trio of Nico Mannion, Josh Green, and Zeke Nnaji all declared for the NBA draft following the 2019-20 campaign.
The Wildcats posted a 21-11 overall record this past season, including a 10-8 mark in conference play.