Arizona basketball: Wildcats offer 4-star big

Arizona did not have to look far for its latest scholarship offer, though the prospect comes from half a world away.

On Monday Arizona offered Alex Tchikou, a 6-11 power forward playing at Dream City Christian (formerly Joy Christian) in Glendale, AZ. Originally from Paris, France, Tchikou is a tall, athletic big man in the 2021 class who is attracting a lot of high major attention.

The Wildcats were not the only team to offer Tchikou on Tuesday as Alabama also extended an offer. He also boasts offers from Baylor, UCLA, TCU, NC State and Mississippi State among others.

Tchikou plays his AAU basketball for the California Stars.

He is generally considered a 4-star prospect in the 2021 class and is ranked between 24 and 39 in the major recruiting rankings. He moved to Dream City from the New Hampshire’s Brewster Academy. He also played at Nevada’s Findlay Prep in 2018-2019 prior to the school closing last spring.

"He loves to compete,” Dream City Christian head coach Kyle Weaver told the Arizona Republic back in November. “"We want guys that will live and breathe in the gym and take good care of their classwork. He does both. He's a great student in the classroom and loves to compete on the court."

Weaver compared him to a Kevin Durant player who can play on the perimeter with post player size, though last season most of his impact came as a shot blocker and in transition.