Syracuse Basketball: Tyus Battle on art of the no look pass, dunk mentality

Syracuse basketball star Tyus Battle sat down with Site Expert Paul Esden after the latest game to discuss the no look pass and his mentality when dunking.

There’s only two preseason exhibition games for the Syracuse basketball team to tune things up before things really count in the regular season.

In the opening exhibition game vs Saint Rose, Tyus Battle struggled mightily creating points and quite frankly being thrust into the point guard role due to injuries. But Tyus did do well facilitating for his teammates in a tight spot.

Frank Howard is out with an undisclosed lower leg injury (no expectation on his return), Howard Washington was warming up before the game but he’s still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered bask last season, and finally Jalen Carey was questionable heading into Wednesday night’s game but Jim Boeheim after the game said when he’s ready, he’ll be ready they aren’t going to rush him back.

But it was invaluable experience for Battle just in case he ever has to do that when it really counts. *knocks on wood* with the depth Syracuse has this year at guard, that shouldn’t ever be an issue.

Battle did end up with 13 points vs LeMoyne, but arguably the best two points of the night was a coast-to-coast play that really got the crowd going.

What seemed like an easy basket for the LeMoyne Dolphins was rejected emphatically by Elijah Hughes and in the transition game Tyus Battle showed no regard for human life as he stuffed the one-handed jam with ferocity in front of press row.

After the game Battle commented on what he saw on the play…

"“Honestly I just saw an open lane and attacked it. I don’t really think about dunking it that much honestly. It’s not like I’m thinking ‘dunk it, dunk it’. It just happens honestly. Elijah had a great block, I knew he was going to block it and I’m pretty sure I yelled it out and I can’t remember who passed me the ball but I just saw it and took it.”"

While that was certainly the cherry on top of the ice cream, that wasn’t the only highlight of the night. Battle has seemingly mastered the art of the no look pass. Multiple times Wednesday night in the second half Tyus was heading towards where the press was seated and you could see him lull the defender into a false sense of security and then made defenders look foolish with slick facilitation.

"“It really just throws off the defense a bit and the defender thinks I’m going this way when I’m really going that way. I’ve been getting better with it and I’m always trying to see the floor and what’s going on and I did better with that tonight.”"

After the game Boeheim indicated that the guard situation is up in the air and we won’t know the status of these other guards until close to gametime next Tuesday for season opener, so this may not be the last time we see Tyus running the point for the Orange.