Texas Tech Coach Mark Adams Details Why Daniel Batcho Has Shown NBA Potential
The Texas Tech Red Raiders have just three players returning for this season that logged minutes with the team last year, as an offseason of roster turnover brings a ton of new faces.
KJ Allen, Kevin Obanor, and Daniel Batcho are returning and have all impressed Tech coach Mark Adams, but the second-year head coach said its Batcho that has set himself apart improvement-wise over the offseason with flashes of NBA-level potential.
"They've all made huge progress," Adams said of the returners. "And I'm excited for you guys and our fans to just see that when we start playing games, but Daniel Batcho is one that has really, just a different player than he was last year ... I've told several others and I think our coaching staff agrees, I think Daniel's got a chance to play in the NBA in the next couple of years. We feel that he's improved that much."
A native of Paris, France, Batcho, who, at 6-11, 235-pounds, averaged just 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 33 games as a freshman last season. His impressive height allowed him to shoot an efficient 63.2 percent from the floor. His best game came in Tech's 96-40 win over Omaha on Nov. 23, where Batcho posted six points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in 16 minutes of action.
"A lot of times in practice, he'll separate himself from the other players cause he's a seven-foot guy that's athletic and he's working on his scoring and he's shooting the ball," Adams said.
Batcho attempted just two 3-pointers last season (missing both) but Adams says that the jump-shooting has been a major addition to his growth.
"He's worked on his jump shot, his 3-point shooting," Adams said. "He's just a completely different player. And I think everybody will be impressed and surprised to see his progress."
With the offseason foot injury to frontcourt transfer Fardaws Aimaq, Batcho's role to begin the season all of sudden becomes that much more valuable.
And if he's even anywhere close to the progress that Adams has described, then the Red Raiders are in a position to have another successful year.
Tech fans will get their first chance to see Batcho and the team in action when the season opener tips off at home on Monday, Nov. 7 against Northwestern State.
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