Tyus Battle
Tyus Akili Battle (born September 23, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for BC Enisey of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange. He earned a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship. A prospective target of many college basketball recruiters, he committed to the Michigan Wolverines in May 2015, but reopened his recruitment and committed to Syracuse.
![]() Battle playing for Syracuse | ||||||||||||||
No. 25 – BC Enisey | ||||||||||||||
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Position | Shooting guard / Small forward | |||||||||||||
League | VTB United League | |||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
Born | Livingston, New Jersey | September 23, 1997|||||||||||||
Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||
Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | |||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||
High school | ||||||||||||||
College | Syracuse (2016–2019) | |||||||||||||
NBA draft | 2019 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
Playing career | 2019–present | |||||||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||||||
2019–2020 | Iowa Wolves | |||||||||||||
2020–present | BC Enisey | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
Stats ![]() | ||||||||||||||
Medals
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Early life
A native of Edison, New Jersey,[1][2][3] Battle first became a nationally ranked basketball player in sixth grade.[4] He played for Gill St. Bernard's School in Gladstone, New Jersey for freshman, sophomore, and junior year but then transferred to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey, which was closer to home and allowed him to follow in the footsteps of former standouts of the school Jay Williams and Karl-Anthony Towns.[1] Tyus has earned high rankings among the national class of 2016.[5] Although he endured a wrist injury during the season,[6] Battle had averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2 steals per game as a 2013–14 sophomore.[7] As a junior, Battle missed the first six weeks of the season with a foot injury after being named the Somerset County, New Jersey player of the year as a sophomore. He returned to the lineup at the end of January 2015.[8] He only appeared in 9 games during his junior season, as a result.[9] His average fell to 16.9 points in his limited junior campaign.[7]
Michigan made Battle a scholarship offer in June 2014.[10] Kentucky head coach John Calipari visited Battle on Halloween 2014.[11] After receiving 24 scholarship offers, Battle narrowed his list of schools to 11 on November 3, 2014, via Twitter: Connecticut, Syracuse, Duke, Ohio State, Louisville, Florida, Kentucky, Miami, Villanova, Virginia, and Michigan.[11] He narrowed his list of candidate schools to seven on February 23, 2015: Connecticut, Syracuse, Duke, Ohio State, Louisville, Michigan, and Notre Dame.[12] Michigan head coach John Beilein visited Battle in New Jersey in February 2015.[7] Battle took official visits to Duke and Louisville in April 2015 before visiting Michigan and had planned to visit Syracuse in late May 2015.[13] Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim had an in-home visit with Battle.[7] Battle had also visited a Michigan camp during the summer of 2014.[7]
At the time of his May 11, 2015 verbal commitment, he ranked no. 14 as a 5-star member of the ESPN 60 for the class of 2016.[5] He was also ranked no. 14 by Rivals.com,[2] no. 10 by Scout.com,[14] and no. 12 by 247Sports.com.[15] He was the no. 4 shooting guard in the class according to 247Sports.[3] Battle had taken his official visit at Michigan on May 7.[16] At the time of his signing, Michigan had the top 2016 recruiting class with Battle and a pair of 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) centers (Jon Teske and Austin Davis).[17] Although at the time of Battle's signing, the entire set of scholarships for the class of 2016 seemed to be allocated,[18] some sources reported that Michigan was expected to continue to lure point guards like Cassius Winston and Devearl Ramsey to play with Battle.[17][19] Battle was Michigan's most highly regarded commitment since Mitch McGary,[19] who committed to Michigan in 2011.[20][21][22] On June 19, Battle decommitted from Michigan and scheduled an official visit to Syracuse.[23] On July 13, he committed to Syracuse.[24]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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Tyus Battle SG |
Edison, NJ | St. Joseph High School (NJ) | 6 ft 5.5 in (1.97 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Nov 5, 2015 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 10, 4 (SG), 1 (NJ) Rivals: 14, 8 (G), 1 (NJ) ESPN: 14, 4 (SG), 1 (NJ) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Battle averaged 11.3 points per game as a freshman.[25] As a sophomore, he was a second team 2017–18 All-ACC selection.[26] In the 2018 NCAA tournament, Battle led the Orange to the Sweet Sixteen round where they were eliminated by Duke.[27] Battle led NCAA Division I in minutes played per game (39.0).[28] As a sophomore, Tyus Battle scored his 1,000th point. He averaged 19.2 points per game on 32 percent shooting from the 3-point line. Following his sophomore season, Battle declared for the 2018 NBA draft without signing with an agent.[29] On May 30, 2018, Battle withdrew his name from the draft to return to Syracuse for his junior season.[30] He averaged 17.2 points per game as a junior and improved his shooting. At the end of the season he declared for the NBA draft, forfeiting his final season of eligibility.[31]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, Battle signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.[32] He was officially added to the Timberwolves’ preseason roster on October 14.[33] He was released and added to the Timberwolves’ NBA G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.[34] Battle averaged 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.[35] On July 27, 2020, he signed with BC Enisey of the VTB United League.[36]
National team career
In 2013, Battle was cut early in the process of determining the United States team for the 2013 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship. However, he was one of three players selected to the 12-man team for the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship that had not been named to Team USA the year before.[37] Three seconds before the end of the first period, Battle scored the basket that put USA Basketball ahead for good in the U17 championship game against Australia as Team USA went on to win the gold medal.[38] On June 2, 2015, Battle was announced as an attendee at the 24-man June 12–26, 2015, USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team training camp to select the 12-man roster for the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.[39] However, on the eve of the training camp, Battle announced that the effects of injuries that limited his junior season would keep him from trying out for the team.[40] Thus, he was not among the 21 players who attended the training camp on June 12.[41]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
* | Led NCAA Division I |
Personal life
Battle is the son of Daniella and Gary Battle. Gary was an All-American at University of New Haven (of the Division II New England Collegiate Conference) and his stepmother (Tanya Battle, née Wood) played basketball at the University of Miami.[42] His brother is Khalif Battle, who attends Trenton Catholic Academy (Hamilton, NJ) and is committed to play for Butler University beginning in the 2019–20 season. His sister is GiGi Gibbons.[42]
References
- Waters, Mike. 'Why Syracuse recruit Tyus Battle switched schools ... high schools, that is", The Post-Standard, November 13, 2015. Accessed February 2, 2017. "Battle lives in Edison, N.J., with his father, brother, sister and step-mother. His mother, Daniella Battle, lives nearby. Gill St. Bernards is located in Gladstone, N.J. It's about a 30-minute drive north into Somerset County."
- Dauser, Rob (May 11, 2015). "Michigan lands commitment from top 15 recruit Tyus Battle". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Chiari, Mike (May 11, 2015). "Tyus Battle to Michigan: Wolverines Land 5-Star SG Prospect". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Wiedeman, Reeves (July 30, 2014). "In Search of the Next Andrew Wiggins". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Borzello, Jeff (May 11, 2015). "Tyus Battle commits to Michigan". ESPN. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Schneider, Jeremy (February 3, 2014). "Boys Basketball: With Tyus Battle sidelined, Gill St. Bernard's battles against St. Peter's". NJ.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Quinn, Brendan F. (May 11, 2015). "Five-star surprise: Michigan lands major coup as 2016 guard Tyus Battle commits to Wolverines". MLive.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Schneider, Jeremy (January 30, 2015). "Boys Basketball: Tyus Battle to make season debut for Gill St. Bernard's on Saturday against Ridge". NJ.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Schneider, Jeremy (May 11, 2015). "Boys Basketball: Gill St. Bernard's guard Tyus Battle commits to Michigan". NJ.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Quinn, Brendan F. (July 31, 2014). "Michigan target Tyus Battle lands on U.S. U17 team, other basketball recruiting notes". MLive.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Landis, Bill (November 3, 2014). "Five-star 2016 SG Tyus Battle trims college list to 11, includes Ohio State: Buckeyes recruiting". Cleveland.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Phillips, Scott (February 23, 2015). "Elite five-star Class of 2016 shooting guard cuts his list to seven". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Waters, Mike (May 5, 2015). "2016 recruiting target Tyus Battle schedules official visit to Syracuse". Syracuse.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Daniels, Evan (May 11, 2015). "Tyus Battle Commits To Michigan". Scout.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Norlander, Matt (May 11, 2015). "Michigan lands 2016 five-star talent Tyus Battle". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Thomas, Colleen (May 11, 2015). "Five-star guard Tyus Battle commits to Michigan". Sporting News. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Lorenz, Steve (May 11, 2015). "Wolverines Currently Have Top 2016 Class". 247Sports.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Manzullo, Brian and By Perry A. Farrell (May 11, 2015). "U-M gets commitment from 5-star guard Tyus Battle". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- Beard, Rod (May 11, 2015). "Five-star Tyus Battle a 'huge get' for Michigan". Detroit News. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- "Brewster's Mitch McGary chooses Michigan". ESPN. November 3, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
- Grimala, Mike (November 3, 2011). "McGary commits to Michigan". ESPN. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
- Jordan, Jason (November 3, 2011). "Mitch McGary commits to Michigan". ESPN. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
- Borzello, Jeff (June 19, 2015). "Tyus Battle decommits from Michigan". ESPN. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- Goodman, Jeff and Jeff Borzello (July 13, 2015). "Tyus Battle commits to Syracuse". ESPN. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- Waters, Mike (June 22, 2018). "What to expect from Tyus Battle next season (Syracuse basketball player forecasts)". Syracuse.com. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
- "ACC ANNOUNCES ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM, POSTSEASON AWARDS". TheACC.com. March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- "Duke turns back Orange 69-65, sets up matchup with Kansas". ESPN. Associated Press. March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- "Statistics – Individual: Minutes Per Game". NCAA. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- Ditota, Donna (April 20, 2018). "Tyus Battle declares for NBA Draft, won't hire an agent". Syracuse.com. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
- Goodman, Jeff (May 30, 2018). "Tyus Battle to play junior season at Syracuse". espn.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
- Waters, Mike (June 7, 2019). "Syracuse's Tyus Battle enters 2019 NBA draft more mature, more prepared". Syracuse.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- Carlson, Chris (June 21, 2019). "Former Syracuse star Tyus Battle will reportedly sign with Minnesota Timberwolves". Syracuse.com. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- "Timberwolves sign Tyus Battle and Barry Brown Jr". NBA.com. October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- Lawhon, Danny (November 7, 2019). "New energy and a familiar face bring Iowa Wolves into 2019-20 NBA G League season". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- Burrows, Ben (March 6, 2020). "Was leaving early the right choice for Tyus Battle? Syracuse basketball overseas and in the NBA G League". The Post-Standard. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- "Enisey Krasnoyarsk signs Tyus Battle". Sportando. July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- "Tyus Battle: Anxious To Embark On First USA Basketball Experience". USA Basketball. August 3, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- "USA U17 Men Hold Off Australia 99-92, Capture Third-Straight FIBA U17 World Championship Gold Medal". USA Basketball. August 16, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- "2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team Training Camp Roster Features 24 Players". USA Basketball. June 2, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- Quinn, Brendan F. (June 12, 2015). "Michigan commit Tyus Battle passes on USA U19 team invite, return to court remains on hold". MLive.com. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- "2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Championship Team Training Camp Roster Features 24 Players". USA Basketball. June 12, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- "Tyus Battle". USA Basketball. March 12, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.