NCAA Basketball: Analyzing four-star 2020 F Alex Tchikou top 9 teams

Four-star forward Alex Tchikou has moved to the 2020 NCAA Basketball recruiting class. Which teams are in the running to land him?

There was an expectation this Spring and Summer that a number of NCAA Basketball prospects would make the decision to reclassify and join the 2020 recruiting class, due to the NCAA altering some rules regarding academic qualifications and test scores due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. A number of players have already made the decision, with the most recent being Alex Tchikou.

A consensus four-star forward ranked in the top-100 overall, Tchikou is a potentially major coup for programs still in need of a big man in the month of July. Originally from France, the 6’11 big man is a great athlete with raw physical skills on both ends of the court. He’s someone able to have an impact on the defensive end right out the gate as a freshman, with a growing offensive skillset.

Tchikou’s recruitment has gained a ton of steam in recent weeks, with programs having a desire to use him for the upcoming season, rather than waiting a year. This move also gets him closer to the NBA Draft, if his ability warrants an early move to the pros. There are teams that can still use a big man, including nine listed as finalists. Here’s a look at his potential fit with each program.

*Mississippi State was later added to the list

Alabama Crimson Tide

If the goal is to play as a freshman, I’m not sure that the Tide would be a top-tier contender out of the group, at least for the upcoming season. They landed Yale grad transfer big man Jordan Bruner, along with the return of starter Alex Reese, as well as forwards John Petty and Herb Jones.

But Alabama was one of the worst teams in the country on the defensive end, particularly inside. Even with the quartet of rising seniors in the frontcourt, Tchikou can make an argument that he’s best suited to be the anchor down low. But with Coach Oats preferring to have great offensive talent on the court most of the time, the prospect probably would have to look elsewhere for immediate playing time.