Syracuse Basketball: Tyus Battle reinvigorates NBA Draft stock vs Duke

Syracuse basketball star Tyus Battle has reinvigorated his NBA Draft stock with his most recent performance vs Duke. Here’s more on what happened.

When Tyus Battle first arrived at Syracuse, he started off as a third wheel in 2016-17. Battle was third on the team in scoring as a freshman (11.3 points per game) and his shining moment was a buzzer beater vs Clemson.

But he was so buried on the team with so much other talent:

• Andrew White III
  • Broke the single season three point record and played in the NBA.
• Tyler Lydon
  • Future first round pick in the NBA Draft
• John Gillon
  • Fringe NBA player.
• Taurean Thompson
  • Talented offensive forward, eventually transferred to Seton Hall.
• Dajuan Coleman
  • A long time Orange player.
• Frank Howard
  • The eventual lead point guard of the team.
• Paschal Chukwu
  • Project center who battled injuries.
• Tyler Roberson
  • One of the most polarizing players in recent Syracuse memory.

So you get the picture, it’s actually impressive how well Tyus did under these circumstances. Fast forward a year and Battle had none of these luxuries.

In 2017-18, Tyus became the leading scorer for the Orange (19.2 points per game) and really started to show off his NBA potential by putting this Syracuse team on his back nearly every night. That was painfully evident when you look at the lack of depth on the roster in that season.

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At season’s end it seemed like a near lock that Tyus was heading to the NBA Draft. Instead of just opting to leave, he decided to go through the process, due to the new rules he could.

If you don’t know, collegiate players are now allowed to go to the NBA Combine, talk with teams, and test the waters. They’re allowed to return to their respective school after all of that, as long as they don’t sign with an agent.

Battle waited all the way until the last second and surprised everyone by returning to the Orange for what is expected to be his final season. I’m glad he did, for multiple reasons.

Of course selfishly because Battle is such a dynamic scorer and leader for Syracuse. But also for him, because during the 2017-18 season he was forced to be THE guy for the Orange every single night and if he wasn’t, the team lost.

By returning in 2018-19 with a deep cast of crew and characters, Battle had a chance to increase his offensive efficiency  and reinvigorate his NBA Draft stock. That opportunity came full circle at Cameron Indoor on January 14th.

Syracuse came into the game with their proverbial tail between their legs after getting embarrassed at home vs Georgia Tech, 73-59.

With fans doubting this team’s legitimacy and fans calling into my radio show telling me Jim Boeheim needed to be fired, this season had the potential to spin out of control. But it didn’t thanks to Tyus Battle and friends.

When Duke opened up a 12-0 lead, it seemed like Syracuse fans worst fears were realized, this Blue Devils team was about to curb stomp the life out of Orange fans. But Battle put this team on his back and refused to let it happen.

Battle poured in 32 points on 12-of-28 shooting and was perfect from the charity stripe 7-for-7. So many clutch, high difficulty shots, that Tyus made happen. He seemed possessed and that energy was infectious to the rest of the team.

So far this season Battle has had a few good games, but his NBA Draft stock was in the dumpster with how the Syracuse team was playing. Now with a game of this magnitude in a win over No. 1 Duke, he’s back on NBA team’s radars.