Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team beefed up its roster on Monday as head coach Talvin Hester announced the signing of Texas Tech transfer Daniel Batcho.
Batcho, standing 6-foot-11 at 235 pounds, has spent the last two seasons with the Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas.
“We needed to continue to beef up our interior and adding Daniel is the last piece to that,” said Hester. “His ability to protect the rim and rebound is elite with his size. He will be a key contributor for us inside.”
The Paris, France native played in 23 games last season at Texas Tech, including 17 starts, when he averaged 7.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He led the team in field goal percentage (60.5) and total blocked shots (35).
Batcho tallied three double-doubles throughout his redshirt sophomore season, including a 15-point, career-high 13-rebound effort against Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Battle. He also tallied a career-high 21 points against Ohio State in the Maui Invitational.
In his first season with the Red Raiders, the forward helped the team reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. He played in 33 games, averaging 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 63.2 percent from the field.
Batcho transferred to Texas Tech following a season at Arizona where he redshirted after undergoing knee surgery. Prior to heading to Tucson, Arizona, he played for Centre Federal du Basketball (CFBB). He helped U18 CFBB Paris to a runner-up finish at the Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament where he recorded a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds.
