In recent years, French basketball stars like Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert have brought global attention to France’s rising prominence in the sport. However, at the college level, another name is quietly making waves. Louisiana Tech’s standout forward, Daniel Batcho, hailing from Paris, is leading the NCAA in field goal percentage at 74.7% — and his journey to the top began in a neighborhood better known for soccer.
“I started playing basketball when I was 10 years old,” Batcho said, recalling his introduction to the sport. “My mom used to play basketball too, so she kind of put me into it.”
From the start, Batcho’s height gave him an edge over his peers, allowing him to dominate on the court. That early success ignited a dream — to move to the United States and compete at the highest levels of basketball.
He committed to the Arizona Wildcats but faced adversity after a knee injury ended his first collegiate season.
“I got hurt, had surgery on my knee in September 2020,” Batcho said. “And I was out until about February or March, which is when the season wraps up.”
Although the rehabilitation period was a dark time for him, it helped him better acclimate to a new environment where he was on his own, far from friends and family.
“I had to meet new people, learn the language and gain a better understanding of the culture,” Batcho said. “But eventually, you’ve got to figure it out.”
Batcho began to adapt but ran into further uncertainty when Arizona announced the firing of head coach Sean Miller at the end of the season.
“It was really blurry for me,” Batcho said. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay here [at Arizona] or transfer to another school.”
Ultimately, Batcho entered the transfer portal, landing with the Red Raiders at Texas Tech. After two seasons in Lubbock, Batcho made one more transfer decision — that would prove pivotal: Louisiana Tech.
Not only did Batcho follow Talvin Hester, an assistant coach who took the Bulldogs’ head coaching job a year before, but he also had the chance to follow in the footsteps of Karl Malone.
After a strong season last year that saw Batcho average 15.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and shoot 59% from the field, his second year has taken his game to new heights.
This season, Batcho has led the Bulldogs to a 13-4 record while also seeing his points per game jump to 18.5. However, the ultimate goal remains: to return Louisiana Tech to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.
“Last year, we felt like it was the year, but we’re back again, and this year, we have our sights on March Madness,” Batcho said.
