Syracuse Basketball: Was Friday night Tyus’s last Battle in Orange?

Following Friday night’s Sweet Sixteen loss to Duke, Syracuse Basketball star Tyus Battle has an important decision to make about his future.

In less than two weeks, college basketball’s biggest stage, March Madness, has featured some of the biggest upsets and some of the toughest heartbreaks. The Syracuse basketball team was not immune to these feelings. The Orange nearly did the impossible for the second-straight round on Friday night.

After upsetting the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans in round two of the tournament, the Orange’s noteworthy 2-3 zone defense limited the Duke Blue Devils to less than 40% shooting (19% from three) and had multiple chances to win the game in the final minutes of round three.

While most have five Duke players going in the first round of the NBA Draft, Syracuse has just two players that would get drafted if they choose to declare themselves eligible. These players are none other than the ACC’s No. 2 scorer Tyus Battle, and freshman phenom Oshae Brissett.

Battle, one of the NCAA’s most overlooked scorers, proved his worth during the Orange’s fourth game of the tournament. The Sophomore scored 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting, dished out five assists, and turned the ball over just three times in Syracuse’s four-point loss.

The 6-foot-6 scoring machine gradually improved his ability to shoot off the dribble over these past two years, and the stats show it. Only four other players in the NCAA have more than 200 off-the-dribble field goal attempts.

The crafty shooting guard from Edison, New Jersey single-handedly kept the Orange above water all season and all tournament. During Friday night’s game, he continued to do so thanks to some otherworldly three-point shooting down the stretch.

Orange forward Oshae Brissett hinted at a probable 2018-19 return during his postgame interview with the media.

Brissett, who has “never thought about it” probably has different plans than Battle, who will likely enter his name into the NBA Draft without hiring an agent in order to see where he would get taken.

Additionally, it would be surprising to not see the 20-year-old at the draft combine, where depending on how he performs, the basketball world will get a clear idea of just how NBA-ready Battle really is, and what his final draft status looks like.

While Brissett has put very little thought into his post-March plans, Battle clearly has and was quick to dismiss any questions regarding his future during his postgame interview.

The 20-year-old said that he’s “not even thinking about it right now” and instead eluded to how proud he is of what the Orange did against all odds these past two weeks. Battle even took to Twitter following the loss and continued to express just how improbable Syracuse’s Sweet Sixteen run was.

With high-end recruits Darius Bazley, Jalen Carey, and Buddy Boeheim set to join Syracuse this fall, it makes far too much sense for Battle to stay, and make this team a true contender.

With Brissett and Bazley, two forwards that could easily replicate the famous 2003 duo of Carmelo Anthony and Hakim Warrick, and lights out shooting from Battle, Carey, and Boeheim, this team is capable of winning a second world title for Syracuse.

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Even though his future is in question, Battle clearly silenced the debate regarding his readiness to join the competitive NBA that awaits him during what may have been his final game at the collegiate level.