NBA Draft 2022: 5 Big Ten basketball players improving their draft stock

6-foot-7 sophomore Jamison Battle, Forward, Minnesota Golden Gophers

Jamison Battle has proven to be one of the more impactful transfers in the nation as he’s seen his profile grow this year in the Minnesota basketball lineup after spending the past two seasons at George Washington. While many prospects have an adjustment period when transferring from the mid-major ranks to the high-major ranks, Battle hasn’t shown any of that.

His output hasn’t seen much fall-off as he’s still posting 17.8 ppg (17.5 ppg w/ GW in 2020-21) and 6.3 rpg in the Gophers’ frontcourt this season. Battle has some versatility at his disposal at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds as an inside-out threat as his numbers show. He’s shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from 3-point range while knocking down 2.6 3-pointers per contest.

While he likes to get to the rim and operate in the paint, his biggest asset is his ability to operate on the perimeter at volume. He was sensational back on Dec. 11 in a victory over Michigan with season-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, though he went just 1-of-6 from 3-point land in that one.

He’s a prospect that should intrigue at the next level and he’s certainly begun to start the conversation as, at the very least, a second-round projection in this year’s NBA Draft if he decides to test the waters.