'20 France PF - Alex Tchikou (Alabama ---> URI ---> Detroit)

[Billyboy78]

[SandorClegane]

6’11 kid with handle… nice.

[reef]

Really good find is this a recent workout ??

[Billyboy78]

Really good find is this a recent workout ??

I assume it is. He just posted it yesterday, I think.

[sevegny7]

[sbrand]

Hi Everyone,

I am interviewing Kyle Weaver, the head coach of Dream City Christian which is the prep school where Alex Tchikou attended. Kyle recruited and coached Alex. He will be answering any questions related to his time coaching Alex and shed some light on who he is, what he did and what he can do for us.

I have invited Stevey to join me on the show to co-anchor and get to more of the technical questions.

If you guys have any questions please let me know?

Thanks.

[Jersey77]

How often do they still stay in touch?

Was he still having medical issues last season, resulting in only playing 3 games.
If so, does he think Alex would be eligible to receive a medical hardship waiver?

Best part of his game and what he needs to work on?

Is he more suited to play outside rather than inside the paint?

Is he very assertive/vocal and can he become a team leader?

[TruePoint]

I’d be curious to know based on his experience with Alex in prep school and where Alex is now with his game, what he thinks Alex’s realistic ceiling is as a college player.

[SGreenwell]

- Tchikou is a native of Paris, France, which is obviously a bit different from Arizona. What were some of the biggest adaptations he had to make, positive and negative, because of that? Any humorous moments that come to mind?

- What about from a basketball standpoint - Was his game different than an American-born player, or not so much? (Given the rise of the Internet and stuff like YouTube, I could see that being less of an issue now.)

- Since he knew Alex at the time, what went into his decision to attend Alabama?

- What does he think will be the key to Alex reaching his maximum potential? Attention to detail on the court, work ethic off the court, etc.

[steveystuds06]

I wish I could post longer videos on Twitter but I think these are the best highlights from Alex so far. I'm very excited to see this kid grow!

[sbrand]

Thanks Everyone!!!

[ramster]

Thanks Everyone!!!

Scott,
Here are a few, sorry to be late.

1. Did having Adeniyi Amadou who is the Assistant Head Coach for URI WBB plus 6 Players on the WBB team from France play a role in your choosing URI? Did you know this prior to considering URI?
2. How has having these 7 people from France on WBB affected your day to day life on campus?
3. Who is the toughest big man on URI MBB to guard?
4. What are Foumena’s strengths? How good is he now and what is Foumena’s potential?
5. How do you like URI so far?

[sbrand]

Hey Guys, Thanks for the great questions. I tried to ask all of them, but things started moving fast.

Check out Stephen Studley at the 20:23 mark with his expert analysis.

You will definitely love the short doc at the end.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks as always for contributing.

[steveystuds06]

Hey Guys, Thanks for the great questions. I tried to ask all of them, but things started moving fast.

Check out Stephen Studley at the 20:23 mark with his expert analysis.

You will definitely love the short doc at the end.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks as always for contributing.

Great job!!

[Jersey77]

Just finished listening.
Thanks again Scott and also props to Stevey.

Nice to get a little more insight into FrenTchi.

I love his attitude and work ethic.
Also, the strong attention he pays to defense.

He has so much raw ability and length, and I feel he can develop into a major impact player for us.

[Jdrums#3]

Excellent interview, Scott. Great video of big T - quite the handle there for the big guy!

His prep coach seems to do a great job with the young men in his program. Hopefully, we see more of them coming to Rhody.

Shout out to Stevey!

Finally, I really enjoy your interview intro’s. The combination of the music and video always get me stoked. Great stuff.

Thank you!

[sbrand]

Thanks again guys for supporting the podcast and kind words. I would like to see him take some threes soon.

[Billyboy78]

When analyzing the transfers coming in this year, don't forget that we were very excited about Alex. Go back and read.

[DeanDome88]

When analyzing the transfers coming in this year, don't forget that we were very excited about Alex. Go back and read.

He is athletic, tall, and coordinated. Hopefully he finds a good landing spot where he can play facing the basket. Banging bodies in the post was foreign to him. He was making an effort though. I like the kid.

[Rhody15]

When analyzing the transfers coming in this year, don't forget that we were very excited about Alex. Go back and read.

People get very excited about every single new player we have coming in, regardless of previous production or track record.

To each is own, but if someone god forbid doesn’t get all excited about every kid who commits, that’s fine too.

[Jdrums#3]

All the best to big T. Quality teammate and person.

[RamStock]

When analyzing the transfers coming in this year, don't forget that we were very excited about Alex. Go back and read.

People get very excited about every single new player we have coming in, regardless of previous production or track record.

To each is own, but if someone god forbid doesn’t get all excited about every kid who commits, that’s fine too.

This is true with every recruit. If they are coming here it is great job Archie or Cox, what a star this guy will be and if they leave their flaws are on display and the team is more talented now. The truth will be what Archie does with this group. The team is obviously going to win more games between the A-10, the amount we won last year and hopefully better talent. The goal is to make the tourney or at least be able to see light by the end of next year. We will see.

[steviep123]

I’m saddened by this. I thought he had good potential on this team.

[Dino611]

Good attitude and team player.

Don’t know if he could match up physically and also the previous injuries did hinder his ability

But at the same time I really don’t know how he could’ve been a 4 only hit two shots outside 5 feet last year

[NYGFan_Section208]

I’m saddened by this. I thought he had good potential on this team.

Fret not...methinks he wouldn't leave unless he were thinkin' a better dude was incoming

[McRam]

I always find it interesting when a player does not enter the portal and then enters after much time has passed since he could have entered.

If he goes quickly, then that deal was done before his name was in the portal — if he does not sign very quickly, then he was probably advised to pack his bags. We will c

[NYGFan_Section208]

I always find it interesting when a player does not enter the portal and then enters after much time has passed since he could have entered.

If he goes quickly, then that deal was done before his name was in the portal — if he does not sign very quickly, then he was probably advised to pack his bags. We will c

hopefully, he was (stealth) told there's a + replacement on the way...that's just the dealio these daze....

[jcru]

Well, he may have just learned something. And in that case, he's looking at the roster and can do the math. Basically, where are my minutes going to come from? At some point, they disappear all together. This gives Archie the ability to get a guard, a big man, and possibly another shooter for the wing.

[reef]

Alex was very raw seemed like he needed time to develop

Seems like he wants to play outside but doesn’t have the necessary skills

Not a big loss for us , he should go to a lower D1

[Rhody15]

I'm old enough to remember when someone here said Tchikou's NBA comp was Kevin Durant and Pascal Siakim.

Hint, same person who waves the pom poms at every single kid who comes here.

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

In looking back at what I wrote after people raved about what they saw on video:

1) You'll see he often, although not always, twists and contorts his upper body while in air on his jumper. He's not totally square to the basket while shooting.
2) Sometimes his follow thru is abbreviated.
3) This is my opinion...I'm not a huge fan of 6'11" guys fading on jump shots over guys that they're taller than.

Moving beyond his jumper...
4) Where is he cleaning the glass? Where is my Antonio Reynolds-Dean being man in the paint? Be a beast.
5) Didn't see a lot of post ups. Saw a lot of floating on the perimeter. What's good to show NBA scouts isn't necessarily what's good for URI.

I hope he's not a 6'11" guy who plays like he's 6'6". We'll see how he pans out. I'm hopeful like everyone else but I'll reserve judgement after a few years. (Everyone looks good on tape...they never show the misses/turnovers, etc. Right?)

[RJRam]

Listen, IMO, this young man is extremely athletic and would have been a real stud if he had grown up playing basketball in the US with good tough competition. As it stands, a good wind knocks him off balance. He needs to play in a low conference or Division 2. He had a year in SEC and a year at URI to toughen up with no results. It's not going to happen. Too late for him.

[Rhody15]

Listen, IMO, this young man is extremely athletic and would have been a real stud if he had grown up playing basketball in the US with good tough competition. As it stands, a good wind knocks him off balance. He needs to play in a low conference or Division 2. He had a year in SEC and a year at URI to toughen up with no results. It's not going to happen. Too late for him.

There’s about to be 5 straight seasons of international NBA MVPs.

The collegiate POY isn’t from America.

Last years collegiate POY wasn’t from America either.

The first pick of the next NBA draft will be from France.

Growing up overseas isn’t a barrier to becoming a good player.

[RJRam]

Listen, IMO, this young man is extremely athletic and would have been a real stud if he had grown up playing basketball in the US with good tough competition. As it stands, a good wind knocks him off balance. He needs to play in a low conference or Division 2. He had a year in SEC and a year at URI to toughen up with no results. It's not going to happen. Too late for him.

There’s about to be 5 straight seasons of international NBA MVPs.

The collegiate POY isn’t from America.

Last years collegiate POY wasn’t from America either.

The first pick of the next NBA draft will be from France.

Growing up overseas isn’t a barrier to becoming a good player.

It may not be a barrier, and I don't know anything about his past, but IMHO, this young man did not see good, tough, aggressive competition. If he had, he would be a real good player.

[ram1980]

Extremely soft player with no hands. Not someone we could count on to grow into the 5 position. Seems like a good kid with a good attitude. Just not physically ready for this level.

[ramster]

Extremely soft player with no hands. Not someone we could count on to grow into the 5 position. Seems like a good kid with a good attitude. Just not physically ready for this level.

Tchikou played very soft and Samb was even softer

They both got beat out by the end of the season by a lineup of:

Martin
Stewart
Thomas
Leggett
Carey


So Martin and Stewart took their places that they had secured earlier in the season.

Martin and Leggett led the team in rebounding - not Tchikou or Samb.

[SmartyBarrett]

Committed to Detroit.

[Jdrums#3]

All the best to Big T.

[PeterRamTime]

Hmm

Maybe we would have been better with hoping Tchikou develops than Green?

[SandorClegane]

I actually think he could have played a role in next years team. All the best to the kid.

[JimSidd]

I actually think he could have played a role in next years team. All the best to the kid.

I agree. I think there is some room for improvement if someone can coach him up

[steveystuds06]

I actually think he could have played a role in next years team. All the best to the kid.

Hes' a great kid, but he was years away on the offensive end. It was tough to watch. He's best at a lower level. I'd rather see all his minutes go to Foumena. If Bilau comes back, I think we will have a solid 3 man frontcourt.

[Rhody15]

I actually think he could have played a role in next years team. All the best to the kid.

Hes' a great kid, but he was years away on the offensive end. It was tough to watch. He's best at a lower level. I'd rather see all his minutes go to Foumena. If Bilau comes back, I think we will have a solid 3 man frontcourt.

Remember you said his NBA comps were Siakim and Durant before he even put on a Rhody uniform?

Sorry couldn't resist.

[steveystuds06]

I actually think he could have played a role in next years team. All the best to the kid.

Hes' a great kid, but he was years away on the offensive end. It was tough to watch. He's best at a lower level. I'd rather see all his minutes go to Foumena. If Bilau comes back, I think we will have a solid 3 man frontcourt.

Remember you said his NBA comps were Siakim and Durant before he even put on a Rhody uniform?

Sorry couldn't resist.

My god, you’re so annoying. We were discussing if Alex was a 4 or a 5 and his style of play…i was explaining that he plays more like a 4 from the tape I saw and if I remember correctly I said I read that comparison in a random old article when he was a big time recruit. I never said the kid was going to be one of the best players in the country and end up in the nba and then be one of the top players in the nba…

Idk if you know this but they compare a lot high upside young players to NBA players alll the time. Especially young highly ranked recruits which he was. That doesn’t mean that player is going to become that good or even remotely close. It’s about the type of player they are.

For someone that claims to be expert over and over again on here I figured you would know that.

[Rhody15]

Hes' a great kid, but he was years away on the offensive end. It was tough to watch. He's best at a lower level. I'd rather see all his minutes go to Foumena. If Bilau comes back, I think we will have a solid 3 man frontcourt.

Remember you said his NBA comps were Siakim and Durant before he even put on a Rhody uniform?

Sorry couldn't resist.

My god, you’re so annoying. We were discussing if Alex was a 4 or a 5 and his style of play…i was explaining that he plays more like a 4 from the tape I saw and if I remember correctly I said I read that comparison in a random old article when he was a big time recruit. I never said the kid was going to be one of the best players in the country and end up in the nba and then be one of the top players in the nba…

Idk if you know this but they compare a lot high upside young players to NBA players alll the time. Especially young highly ranked recruits which he was. That doesn’t mean that player is going to become that good or even remotely close. It’s about the type of player they are.

For someone that claims to be expert over and over again on here I figured you would know that.

I know enough to not even bring up/post about a transfer we get being compared to a HOFer and a perennial All Star type player, no matter where I read it.

And I have never once said I’m a “expert” on anything.

[bigappleram]

Cmon man for the sake of the board and enjoyment of everyone just try a little bit to be better. There is no need to incessantly dunk on people. It’s tiring.

[PlayMikeMotenMore]

Hes' a great kid, but he was years away on the offensive end. It was tough to watch. He's best at a lower level. I'd rather see all his minutes go to Foumena. If Bilau comes back, I think we will have a solid 3 man frontcourt.

Remember you said his NBA comps were Siakim and Durant before he even put on a Rhody uniform?

Sorry couldn't resist.

My god, you’re so annoying. We were discussing if Alex was a 4 or a 5 and his style of play…i was explaining that he plays more like a 4 from the tape I saw and if I remember correctly I said I read that comparison in a random old article when he was a big time recruit. I never said the kid was going to be one of the best players in the country and end up in the nba and then be one of the top players in the nba…

Idk if you know this but they compare a lot high upside young players to NBA players all the time. Especially young highly ranked recruits which he was. That doesn’t mean that player is going to become that good or even remotely close. It’s about the type of player they are.

For someone that claims to be expert over and over again on here I figured you would know that.

Stevey...what you did is you drank the recruiting Kool Aid, as we hear all the great things about a player, his potential, see highlight video, yada, yada. You put the cart before the horse...so next time, please tap the brakes.

Unfortunately, a lot of times (not all the time) coaches and scouts tell kids what they want to hear. "Oh yeah, work on that 3-pointer so you can get to the league. Your ball handling is great for 6'11"...nobody can guard you out there. You're similar to Kevin Durant. Don't worry about your inside game...you'll be a pick-n-pop guy with your athleticism."

Instead kids need to hear what they should hear:

If a kid was told "your jump shot is a mess...let's start over and get good mechanics. Let's master shooting the ball from 10-feet and in first. Work on 3 go-to back-to-the-basket moves to make yourself better. Spend a good chunk of your season in the weight room so you can double your rebounding average."

Kids often run away from hearing that.

[steveystuds06]

Remember you said his NBA comps were Siakim and Durant before he even put on a Rhody uniform?

Sorry couldn't resist.

My god, you’re so annoying. We were discussing if Alex was a 4 or a 5 and his style of play…i was explaining that he plays more like a 4 from the tape I saw and if I remember correctly I said I read that comparison in a random old article when he was a big time recruit. I never said the kid was going to be one of the best players in the country and end up in the nba and then be one of the top players in the nba…

Idk if you know this but they compare a lot high upside young players to NBA players alll the time. Especially young highly ranked recruits which he was. That doesn’t mean that player is going to become that good or even remotely close. It’s about the type of player they are.

For someone that claims to be expert over and over again on here I figured you would know that.

I know enough to not even bring up/post about a transfer we get being compared to a HOFer and a perennial All Star type player, no matter where I read it.

And I have never once said I’m a “expert” on anything.

There was a long discussion about what his style was. Was he a 4 or a 5. That's all... I read that he was a versatile 4 that had a shot and liked to play outside the perimeter. You'd have to be an absolute idiot to think a kid that wasn't good enough to make an impact at Bama would go to an A10 school and become the best player in the country... You're just a condensing internet tough guy to everyone on here and exaggerate what people say all the time. You think you're an expert. You're not. You think you're takes are reasonable. In reality, the one person that's a complete prick and rude to everyone on here is you. That's not reasonable.

[steveystuds06]

Remember you said his NBA comps were Siakim and Durant before he even put on a Rhody uniform?

Sorry couldn't resist.

My god, you’re so annoying. We were discussing if Alex was a 4 or a 5 and his style of play…i was explaining that he plays more like a 4 from the tape I saw and if I remember correctly I said I read that comparison in a random old article when he was a big time recruit. I never said the kid was going to be one of the best players in the country and end up in the nba and then be one of the top players in the nba…

Idk if you know this but they compare a lot high upside young players to NBA players all the time. Especially young highly ranked recruits which he was. That doesn’t mean that player is going to become that good or even remotely close. It’s about the type of player they are.

For someone that claims to be expert over and over again on here I figured you would know that.

Stevey...what you did is you drank the recruiting Kool Aid, as we hear all the great things about a player, his potential, see highlight video, yada, yada. You put the cart before the horse...so next time, please tap the brakes.

Unfortunately, a lot of times (not all the time) coaches and scouts tell kids what they want to hear. "Oh yeah, work on that 3-pointer so you can get to the league. Your ball handling is great for 6'11"...nobody can guard you out there. You're similar to Kevin Durant. Don't worry about your inside game...you'll be a pick-n-pop guy with your athleticism."

Instead kids need to hear what they should hear:

If a kid was told "your jump shot is a mess...let's start over and get good mechanics. Let's master shooting the ball from 10-feet and in first. Work on 3 go-to back-to-the-basket moves to make yourself better. Spend a good chunk of your season in the weight room so you can double your rebounding average."

Kids often run away from hearing that.

You're right I have expected certain recruits to be better then they are. Overhyped them. It won't be the last time. But im' not dumb enough to think that Alex Tchikou would become the national player of the year and be a NBA superstar. Big difference.

[ramster]

My god, you’re so annoying. We were discussing if Alex was a 4 or a 5 and his style of play…i was explaining that he plays more like a 4 from the tape I saw and if I remember correctly I said I read that comparison in a random old article when he was a big time recruit. I never said the kid was going to be one of the best players in the country and end up in the nba and then be one of the top players in the nba…

Idk if you know this but they compare a lot high upside young players to NBA players alll the time. Especially young highly ranked recruits which he was. That doesn’t mean that player is going to become that good or even remotely close. It’s about the type of player they are.

For someone that claims to be expert over and over again on here I figured you would know that.

I know enough to not even bring up/post about a transfer we get being compared to a HOFer and a perennial All Star type player, no matter where I read it.

And I have never once said I’m a “expert” on anything.

There was a long discussion about what his style was. Was he a 4 or a 5. That's all... I read that he was a versatile 4 that had a shot and liked to play outside the perimeter. You'd have to be an absolute idiot to think a kid that wasn't good enough to make an impact at Bama would go to an A10 school and become the best player in the country... You're just a condensing internet tough guy to everyone on here and exaggerate what people say all the time. You think you're an expert. You're not. You think you're takes are reasonable. In reality, the one person that's a complete prick and rude to everyone on here is you. That's not reasonable.

Zero chance he leaves for GT. Zero.