Syracuse Basketball: No combine invite for Tyus Battle is a sad sign

Word on Tuesday morning that former Syracuse basketball star Tyus Battle will not get an invite to the NBA Combine is disappointing, yet unsurprising.

A year ago, Tyus Battle, the clutch shot-making wing for the Syracuse basketball squad, entered his name into the 2018 NBA Draft and received an invitation to the NBA Combine.

He went through the draft process and ultimately decided to return to the Hill for his junior campaign. While I’m 100 percent speculating, I imagine that Battle came back to Central New York to both improve his draft stock, as well as lead the ‘Cuse on a deep March Madness run.

Unfortunately, neither of those objectives truly occurred. During the 2018-19 term, the 6-foot-6 Battle generated about 17 points per contest and got named to the All-ACC third unit. SU, despite some lofty pre-season expectations, managed 20 wins but got bounced by Baylor in the 2019 NCAA Tournament’s first round.

Once this past stanza concluded, Battle revealed that he would leave the Orange, and he recently signed on with the Roc Nation Sports agency in preparation for this June’s NBA Draft. I’m a huge fan of Battle, as I think he’s not only quite talented, but also a selfless guy who excels in the classroom and possesses integrity. I’m rooting for him to have a lengthy and successful professional tenure.

In all honesty, though, when Syracuse.com reported on Tuesday morning that, according to Battle’s father, Gary, Tyus Battle will not land an invite to the 2019 NBA Combine, it definitely bummed me out, but it didn’t surprise me all that much.

I’ve read a ton of articles on Battle’s draft prospects of late, and it merely seems that he hasn’t carved out a niche that jazzes up NBA coaches, executives, and scouts.

Sure, Battle hit some monster shots while a member of the ‘Cuse program. But he isn’t super proficient from long range, and how well his offensive and defensive skills translate to the pros is suspect, according to pieces that I’ve perused on numerous media outlets’ Web sites.

Per Syracuse.com, Battle has secured an invitation to the G-League Elite Camp, held on May 12-14 and encompassing about 40 players, and is expected to schedule workouts with a bunch of NBA crews before the draft transpires.

ESPN NBA Draft Analyst Jonathan Givony reveals this will be the inaugural edition of the G-League Elite Camp. All 30 NBA teams are expected to be represented with key decision makers at both Combines.

Because approximately 60 guys participate in the NBA Combine, and that’s roughly the same number of players who are chosen in the NBA Draft’s two rounds, my main takeaway here is that Battle will likely not hear his name called on June 20th. Which makes sense, given that he is not appearing in virtually any of the most recent mock drafts.

I feel for Battle since he proved a fringe first-round selection 12 months ago, and now he’s in danger of not getting drafted this go-round. Certainly, Battle, at a minimum, will have an opportunity in the G League or overseas, and competing at a stellar level in either of those two locales could enable him to ultimately arrive on an NBA roster. I hope that this fine young man keeps his head up, as a bit of adversity will help him come out stronger on the other side!