Syracuse Basketball: Tyus Battle decision is a game changer

Syracuse received amazing news on NBA Draft decision day when Tyus Battle announced his unexpected return. How does this elite player impact Syracuse’s upcoming season?

Rumors were swirling throughout the draft process that Syracuse star Tyus Battle would hire an agent and forego his remaining eligibility. Syracuse fans were treated to a major surprise when Battle announced that he will return for his junior season.

This unexpected decision was announced on the last day before the deadline and there was even some late confusion that sent fans into a last-minute panic. Luckily, NBA Draft insider Jonathan Givony assuaged all fears with a tweet confirming Battle’s decision to return.

Throughout the season, Battle appeared in the late first round or early second round of mock drafts, but his stock seemed to slip with a poor combine performance. Wings are in high demand in today’s NBA, but Battle was outplayed by prospects at his position like Kevin Huerter, Josh Okogie, Melvin Frazier, and Jacob Evans.

If he stayed in the draft, he would have probably been selected in the second round, but returning to school allows him to try to work his way into the first. Battle has great size at 6’6’’ with a 6’9’’ wingspan and is a good shooter despite his low percentage (32.2% from three).

His percentage is low because he was heavily relied upon to create offense for a team that struggled mightily in that area. Battle and his backcourt mate, Frank Howard, were required to be volume scorers and often had to take difficult shots during end of clock situations.

Battle should improve his efficiency as he adjusts to this leading role which could earn him more attention in the first round of the 2019 draft. His defense and athleticism are his main weaknesses, but the size and shooting are quite appealing.

Even if his stock does not improve, Battle is a top-notch college player whose return drastically improves Syracuse’s prospects for the upcoming season. The Orange looked like they were doomed for another trip to the dreaded bubble when Battle was reportedly leaving, but now that he is back in the fold, they should have much higher aspirations.

Syracuse returns all five starters from last season’s Sweet Sixteen team. Howard and Battle will be the team’s leaders at the guard positions, but combo forwards O’Shae Brissett and Marek Dolezaj could take major steps forward as sophomores. 7’2’’ center Paschal Chuwku is an elite rim protector and defensive anchor in the middle of Boeheim’s renowned 2-3 zone.

Losing five-star freshman Darius Bazely to a questionable G-League decision hurts Syracuse’s depth, but plenty of talent has been injected into the program to bolster the bench. East Carolina transfer Elijah Hughes is a perfect multi-positional sixth man, talented freshman guard Jalen Carey adds a scoring punch, and Bourama Sidibe is a promising frontcourt prospect.

Buddy Boeheim, Howard Washington, and Robert Braswell add some much needed depth to a program that has been plagued with scholarship restrictions over the past few seasons. Coach Boeheim has a plethora of options at his disposal which should make Battle’s junior season one to remember for Syracuse fans.

Next: Syracuse Basketball: 20 Greatest Players to Play for Boeheim

Between returning all five starters and adding talented reserves, Syracuse has an impressive team for next season. I have the Orange ranked 18^th in my early top 25 rankings, but this strong squad could easily move up during the season. Next season cannot come soon enough for Syracuse fans.

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