Syracuse Basketball: Tyus Battle’s decision was exceptionally wise

Tyus Battle, the sophomore star of the Syracuse basketball squad, may or may not take his talents to the next level in the short term. Only time will tell.

There are many things that I admire about Tyus Battle.

First and foremost, he seems like a classy, respectful young man who has a good head on his shoulders, the result of tremendous family influences in his life.

Battle takes his studies seriously.

He’s energetic and passionate on the court, but isn’t one to intentionally show up his opponents.

Battle doesn’t like to lose, although he’s graceful in defeat. He isn’t afraid to display his emotions when he and his teammates succeed, yet Battle lets his skills speak for themselves, rather than doing a whole lot of talking himself.

All in all, Battle is an intelligent guy who appears to have smart people surrounding him. That’s because the recent decision by Battle, a sophomore wing on the SU hoops outfit, to enter the 2018 NBA Draft – but not hire an agent – is an utterly astute choice.

During the 2017-18 campaign, Battle led the Orange in scoring, and he proved among the premier point producers in the entire Atlantic Coast Conference.

While the ‘Cuse fared so-so in the regular season, a fabulous run to the Sweet 16 in the Big Dance has got me and many others out there in the Syracuse community excited about this upcoming stanza.

And Battle would clearly play a pivotal role in 2018-19, accentuated by the fact that Darius Bazley and Matthew Moyer are gone, and Howard Washington is still recovering from an unfortunate injury.

Still, Battle needs to test the waters, so to speak. Many of the mock draft boards currently have

More from Inside the Loud House

him going somewhere in the second round, which is less than ideal.

However, if Battle possesses a strong performance at the NBA Draft Combine, it’s certainly feasible that he ultimately could get selected in the first round, which would make it seven years in a row that a SU stud has gotten picked in the initial round, as well as 10 out of the past 11 years.

From what I can tell, though, the 2018 NBA Draft is absolutely loaded, so there’s no guarantee that Battle will hear his name called at a desired position, regardless of how the combine goes for him.

Therefore, by not signing with an agent, Battle can gather all the “intel” that he seeks at the combine, and then make a well-educated decision about whether to stay in the draft, or return to Central New York for a junior stint.

Should he come back to the Hill, Battle would prove the go-to dude, along with Oshae Brissett, on a team that may have a pre-season top-25 ranking. Battle could contend for ACC Player of the Year, as well as a spot on an All-American unit.

Plus, if our beloved Orange advances deep in the 2019 March Madness, I imagine that Battle’s stock will only rise, which is especially stellar news for him, considering that next term’s NBA Draft is expected as a lot weaker than the 2018 version.

On the flip side, if Battle gathers positive information about the draft that will transpire in roughly two months, he should move on from ‘Cuse Nation, unless he really wants to remain in college. That is absolutely a possibility, because academics are important to Battle, and he definitely has a fondness for Syracuse.

No matter what occurs, we all must wish Battle well, as he represents the university in a magnificent manner. As a father myself, I would feel quite proud if my son exhibited the grace and maturity that Battle has demonstrated.

Next: Syracuse Football: Ranking every SU first round pick in NFL Draft history

That’s why I give a big round of applause to his parents and every other person who has helped shape Tyus Battle into the fine human being he is today.

Home/Syracuse Basketball