Earlier this week, South Carolina’s ladies’s basketball group made a shocking announcement: French phenom Alicia Tournebize has signed with the college and can be part of the group after the vacation break. Tournebize, a 6-foot-7 middle who has been enjoying professionally in France for Bourges Basket, can be eligible to play instantly.
“Alicia has an unimaginable ability set and basketball IQ,” South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley mentioned in a press launch. “She has nice contact across the rim, can shoot it out to the 3-point line and is a shot blocker. We’re excited that she and her household selected to deliver her recreation to Columbia, and the FAMS are going to take pleasure in what she provides to our group on the courtroom and off.”
Forward of South Carolina’s return to motion on Dec. 28 towards Windfall, let’s take a better take a look at this distinctive midseason acquisition. Who’s Tournebize, and the way may she assist the Gamecocks’ title hopes?
The fundamentals
- Place: Heart
- Peak: 6-feet-7
- Earlier membership: Bourges Basket
- Nation: France
- Age: 18
Tournebize has been a reputation to observe amongst worldwide prospects for just a few years, however she actually burst onto the scene this summer time attributable to her breakout efficiency for France on the FIBA U18 Girls’s EuroBasket event. She averaged 12.1 factors, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks on 54.9% capturing to assist France win the bronze medal, and was named to the All-Star 5.
Through the bronze medal recreation towards Belgium, she threw down an enormous two-handed slam that went viral.
Tournebize has been enjoying professionally for Bourges Basket, who take part in La Boulangère Wonderligue (the highest skilled ladies’s basketball league in France) and EuroLeague (a pan-European competitors to crown the most effective group on the continent, akin to the Champions League in soccer).
As a consequence of her age and inexperience, Tournebize performed sparingly for Bourges this season in each the LBW and EuroLeague. Her stats have been nearly similar in each competitions: 7.6 minutes, 2.9 factors, 1.7 rebounds within the LBW and seven.3 minutes, 2.4 factors and 1.9 rebounds in EuroLeague.
Why now?
Participant growth
We do not have a particular reply from Tournebize, who was not quoted in South Carolina’s press launch, and solely gave a quick quote in Bourges’ press launch that didn’t tackle her decision-making course of.
“Bourges has helped me develop, each on and off the courtroom. I’m leaving in the present day with all the pieces I’ve realized right here and with the will to proudly symbolize the colours of my coaching membership,” Tournebize mentioned, as translated into English.
An announcement from the membership, once more translated into English, does observe that the transfer was made to “prioritize the participant’s growth. This is Bourges’ assertion:
“This choice, which was rigorously thought-about and reached by means of respectful dialogue, displays the shared need of each events to prioritize the participant’s growth whereas preserving the membership’s sporting integrity, in accordance with the mutual commitments set out in a settlement settlement.”
As beforehand talked about, Tournebize was enjoying restricted minutes for Bourges this season, and it is troublesome for youngsters to earn extra substantial roles abroad. At South Carolina, there is a clear pathway for Tournebize to change into one of many Gamecocks’ key gamers — if not this season, then actually in years to return.
Staley can be among the best coaches in all of basketball, and has a confirmed observe report of creating bigs into high WNBA draft picks. Tournebize can have an opportunity to comply with within the footsteps of A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso.
Household historical past
It is also value noting that Tournebize’s mom, French legend Isabelle Fijalkowski, came to visit to the States and performed faculty basketball for Colorado earlier than occurring to the WNBA. Tournebize’s mom would have been in a position to advise her on the advantages of enjoying faculty basketball.
Potential payday?
By way of cash, South Carolina’s launch acknowledged that Tournebize was on a “training-intern contract.” It is unclear how a lot she was making for Bourges, however the nature of her standing as a “training-intern” suggests it wasn’t a profitable deal. There are restrictions on worldwide pupil athletes’ capacity to become profitable by means of NIL offers and direct funds from faculties, however it’s now attainable, if sophisticated, for them to receives a commission.
Relying on what South Carolina is ready to work out, it’s attainable Tournebize may earn extra in Columbia than she was in France.
What does Tournebize deliver to the Gamecocks?
Measurement
Tournebize’s dimension is an apparent profit. At 6-foot-7, she is going to instantly be the tallest participant on the group, and one of many tallest gamers within the nation. Per CBB Analytics, there are at present solely six Division I ladies’s basketball gamers standing 6-foot-7 or taller.
Sania Feagin graduated and the Gamecocks are lacking each Ashlyn Watkins (away from basketball) and Chloe Kitts (torn ACL) this season, which has decimated their frontcourt depth. Madina Okot and Joyce Edwards are the one gamers above 6-foot-1 who play important minutes.
As a consequence of accidents, the Gamecocks have usually had solely eight out there gamers, and easily having one other participant who can contribute can be an enormous increase. (South Carolina’s 17.5 bench factors per recreation ranks 198th within the nation.) That Tournebize will assist their frontcourt depth is even higher for Staley.
Tournebize is slim, and should battle at occasions to cope with extra bodily gamers within the paint. A full offseason with South Carolina will assist change that shifting ahead, although.
Athleticism
Tournebize strikes very nicely for her dimension, and may stand up and down the ground. She’s additionally agile with good footwork and lateral mobility, which helps her in halfcourt conditions on either side of the ball. And, in fact, there aren’t many gamers throwing down dunks like she did this summer time for France.
Paint presence
Tournebize’s dimension makes her an actual presence within the paint on either side of the ball. At U18 EuroBasket this summer time, she scored effectively across the basket, and was fourth in rebounds and fourth in blocks for the event. Once more, she must change into stronger, however her peak and size will assist her make a right away affect.
Mid-range recreation
Tournebize not often steps behind the arc, however she is snug within the mid-range, the place she has a easy jumper. For a group that takes 62.4% of its subject aim makes an attempt within the paint, having an enormous who can present any sort of spacing goes to be useful.
Tournebize is just 18 years previous, and can be adjusting to a brand new nation, a brand new teaching workers, new teammates and a brand new league. She’s not going to step on the ground and instantly begin dominating, and he or she might not even play that a lot, particularly initially.
Nonetheless, Staley would not have introduced her over midseason if she did not suppose she may assist, and including a participant as gifted as Tournebize is an actual increase for the Gamecocks. Different title contenders don’t make this type of addition forward of the brand new yr. The 12-1 Gamecocks, who misplaced within the nationwide championship recreation final season, are ranked No. 3 within the nation and are one of many principal contenders seeking to knock UConn off its throne.
How does this have an effect on Tournebize’s WNBA Draft prospects?
One of many extra fascinating features of this transfer is that it really delays Tournebize’s WNBA draft eligibility.
Underneath the present guidelines — which might be topic to vary within the new collective bargaining settlement — worldwide prospects should flip 20 within the yr by which the draft takes place, whereas home prospects should flip 22 within the the yr by which the draft takes place.
As soon as Tournebize begins enjoying within the NCAA, that may make her a home prospect.
If Tournebize had stayed abroad, she would have been eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Now, barring any adjustments to the principles, she’ll have to attend for the 2029 WNBA Draft.
Has this ever occurred earlier than?
Whereas Tournebize is essentially the most high-profile instance, she will not be the primary worldwide participant to signal with a faculty throughout the center of the season.
Auburn added Chinese language guard Yuting Deng in January simply final season (Deng has since transferred and now performs for Baylor), and Egyptian middle Jana El Alfy joined UConn in January of 2023, although she didn’t play with the group till the next season. Moreover, two Australian prospects, middle Callie Hinder (Arizona) and ahead Zoe Jackson (Indiana) will be part of their respective faculties this January, although each plan to redshirt and won’t play this season.
There are additionally examples of this occurring on the boys’s aspect of school basketball. Israeli middle Yonatan Levy joined UW-Inexperienced Bay in January final season (he has since transferred to Pepperdine) and Russian huge man Kirill Elatontsev will go well with up for Oklahoma beginning in January.
