Why is Battle going pro?

[PauliePeppas]

Of course they'll be back at UVa next year.

Hunter will leave but yup...gonna be fun dealing with Guy and Jerome again yay

 

[Funk Doc]

I think he has hit his ceiling. Last year he got lucky and had a great run on the NCAA tournament. He should have cashed in. Now he could be 3rd or 4th round pick. (He could be picked in the second round last year.)

Where do these mysterious 3rd and 4th round players go!??

 

[tipphill]

Honestly I was being generous.

It's entirely possible he does not get drafted at all.

He's trading one year of being a star playing in front of 25,000 people for one additional year of making a g league salary.

Maybe not the choice I would make I guess.

europe,or any other continent

 

[samspann1]

Hunter will leave but yup...gonna be fun dealing with Guy and Jerome again yay

Who was the last productive 4-year player we've had (i.e. a player who was productive for 4 years, not one who stayed 4 years, and was productive in 1 or 2 years)?

 

[kcsu]

Battle is going to make it. He has no help at all. He draws the other teams top defender. He is doubled. He doesnt have a center who draws attention. He plays the whole game. He is our only true offensive threat. He has been forced to play the 1, break the press as we dont have anyone else who can handle the ball. The kid has been Superman and carried this team om his back the last two years.Im pulling for him big time

 

[SgtCuse]

I think he has hit his ceiling. Last year he got lucky and had a great run on the NCAA tournament. He should have cashed in. Now he could be 3rd or 4th round pick. (He could be picked in the second round last year.)

LOL

 

[PauliePeppas]

Who was the last productive 4-year player we've had (i.e. a player who was productive for 4 years, not one who stayed 4 years, and was productive in 1 or 2 years)?

Fair? Was legit from the get go and stayed 4.

 

[samspann1]

Fair? Was legit from the get go and stayed 4.

I think you're right.

 

[kcsu]

LOL

Hes going 2nd round and will make a team.

 

[pearl31]

I think you're right.

Triche

 

[samspann1]

Triche

He's another, but I think that he was a year ahead of Fair?

 

[pearl31]

He's another, but I think that he was a year ahead of Fair?

yup so Fair would prob be the last

 

[Knicks411]

I think guys who play productively for all 4 years gotta be pretty rare, right?

 

[MSOrange]

I think he has hit his ceiling. Last year he got lucky and had a great run on the NCAA tournament. He should have cashed in. Now he could be 3rd or 4th round pick. (He could be picked in the second round last year.)

I can guarantee he won't be picked in the 3rd or 4th round. In fact, I'll shame my bet with Briancuse and bet you $1,000,000 on that.

 

[Funk Doc]

I have a feeling he’s got a shot at hanging around the NBA as a scorer off the bench. He will feel like he’s in the twilight zone with all the space he’ll get to work with on an NBA floor, with 4 other people who are capable scorers around him. It’s simply amazing that his numbers are even as good as they are on this team!

 

[Alsacs]

I think guys who play productively for all 4 years gotta be pretty rare, right?

Malcolm Brogdon?

 

[Knicks411]

Malcolm Brogdon?

Good one, he played half the teams minutes as a frosh, i think that counts?

 

[Fly Rodder]

Who was the last productive 4-year player we've had (i.e. a player who was productive for 4 years, not one who stayed 4 years, and was productive in 1 or 2 years)?

Fair, Triche

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Hunter will leave but yup...gonna be fun dealing with Guy and Jerome again yay

Jerome will probably leave. Look what they happened when they didn't have Hunter their 1st round talent last year.

UVA will be fine one way or another but Battle returning could be the difference in whether or not we can finish above them head to head. I'm terrified of a new back court this league is difficult and it could be ugly if Goodine and Girard aren't very good from day 1. I don't think Carey and Boeheim as our starting back court will win us many ACC games.

A guy like Jerome's stock might drop if he returns. I don't see how Battles could get any lower when hes not expected to be drafted at all. It should be a no brainer for him to return.

 

[cuseincincy]

I understand the whole get your money as soon as you can POV. I just disagree as far as the NBA is concerned. To me, the key is the 2nd contract with some guarantees. But the key is NOT getting to the 2nd contract as soon as you can. It's being a good enough player for the team to need to give you a 2nd contract. These kids coming out at 19 and 20 are still only 22/23 after their 3 year rookie deal. If they have not yet shown much (Richardson, Ennis, Lydon, McCullough) they won't get one. Anyone really think Lydon is looking at another contract? He's played 25 or so minutes in 2 seasons. Now, picture each of these guys playing 3 or 4 years in college. Instead of being 22/23 and not much better than what is available in the draft they'd be 24/25, more mature and likely more of a contributor. Does anyone really believe each of those players won't be better at 25 than they are at 22? Too bad they are out of the league at 22/23 instead of being on their rookie deal after All American college careers. If they can get the 2nd deal they make up for any money they earned while they could have been in college. This is what Battle is staring at .

 

[CardiacCuse]

after the Duke win when Battle went HAM on the team with Zion and Barrett for the win - he played lights out - I was SURE he would get drafted in this Draft (despite being down on his early season play)... I remember checking the mocks soon after that game and Battle was the only SU player in most - a late second rounder...since then - he and the team have struggled - and now battle is not in any of the mocks...

face it, these players in college know and probably look at the mocks and that's the carrot they are all playing for...

Battle's gotta be discouraged to go into Cameron and beast on the 1st and 2nd picks in next year's draft and not get a little more love - i mean, he flat out EMBARRASSED some of those DOOKIES...and got the win ending a 90 game home winning streak for the blue devils...one of the best performances of the season in the entire NCAA, imo

personally, if I was an NBA GM that game alone would convince me to draft battle with AT LEAST a 2nd rounder - there aren't 60 better draft-eligible players out there than him, imo. yes he has weaknesses - but the guy is a warrior and winner - and he's not exactly bereft of talent, either...

there's no doubt in my mind that he will make it in the NBA (barring injury)...if not now, then later on his 20s (assuming he keeps at it)...he's definitely one of those players who will work...and fix his weaknesses and if he can do that - he has everything else - will, fire, size, etc...might not be a star...might be a bench option...but he could also surely be one of those 2nd rounders/undrafteds who outperforms his draft position. SU is due for one of those types of players too after having so many recent under performers relative to draft spot. people that doubt him undervalue his competitive fire - really high in him - and it will take him where he wants to go...

TANGENT:

I really think the draft stock and lack of team success this year is compounding a lot of the team's struggles...BIG TIME.

If you go down the roster, almost every player is either trending down or not where they thought/want to be i.e. future prospects - that's gotta be tough for the players who all want to be in the NBA some day and are close enough to at least envision it...Marek might be the only guy who is trending up as far as pro prospects but he's still a long way off from sniffing the NBA...

look at the squad:

1. Carey - talk of one and done to now glued to bench
2. battle - hoping to improve draft stock to not on most (any?) mocks
3. brissett - regressed - not on (m)any mocks
4. hughes - underwhelming a bit and not looking like "one of the best offensive players in years" that he was called early pre-season - got to get a lot better to think of NBA - has potential but this year cannot be encouraging in that regard for him
5. chukwu - lol
6. sidibe - there is a faint trace of a heartbeat - but hard not call this season/career way below expectations - nowhere close to draftable yet
7. Howard - he was locked in this summer - looking to really build on his best season ever as junior - sweet 16 - had an outside shot at doing something pro-wise if he could've built on last years performance but has FALLEN FLAT like almost no other senior at SU I can recall...gotta be very discouraging for him to basically know that his pro dreams especially nba wise are non-existent - outside of a 1-1000 ncaa title
8. Marek - put on some weight and improve jumper he actually has an outside shot imo - as a dennis rodman, joakim noah type - he's one of the few trending up on this squad as far as projecting him...but still FAR from where he would need to get.

the weight of high expectations - not only team-wise - but personal MUST be weighing on these players...its a numbers game on the team - only so many players in this system can actually shine - but more importantly - it is a numbers game in the sport - only less than 1% get a shot at the next level...soooo the realization that it might not be happening for players that thought it would has got to be crushing...and i think this dynamic must have something to do with why the team is letting a bad stretch spiral.

I mean these guys were legit talking national title in preseason - that's what they were aiming for...with at least a modicum of reasonableness after sweet 16 and everyone returning - and to be SO FAR from that at the moment has gotta be challenging - there's always the chance that a "new season" rejuvenates them and a clean slate could somehow wake them from their slumbers...

 

[Newhouser]

Jerome will probably leave. Look what they happened when they didn't have Hunter their 1st round talent last year.

UVA will be fine one way or another but Battle returning could be the difference in whether or not we can finish above them head to head. I'm terrified of a new back court this league is difficult and it could be ugly if Goodine and Girard aren't very good from day 1. I don't think Carey and Boeheim as our starting back court will win us many ACC games.

A guy like Jerome's stock might drop if he returns. I don't see how Battles could get any lower when hes not expected to be drafted at all. It should be a no brainer for him to return.

I don't know anything about UVA's roster next year but I would be pretty comfortable stating they will finish ahead of us in the ACC standings.

 

[Newhouser]

I understand the whole get your money as soon as you can POV. I just disagree as far as the NBA is concerned. To me, the key is the 2nd contract with some guarantees. But the key is NOT getting to the 2nd contract as soon as you can. It's being a good enough player for the team to need to give you a 2nd contract. These kids coming out at 19 and 20 are still only 22/23 after their 3 year rookie deal. If they have not yet shown much (Richardson, Ennis, Lydon, McCullough) they won't get one. Anyone really think Lydon is looking at another contract? He's played 25 or so minutes in 2 seasons. Now, picture each of these guys playing 3 or 4 years in college. Instead of being 22/23 and not much better than what is available in the draft they'd be 24/25, more mature and likely more of a contributor. Does anyone really believe each of those players won't be better at 25 than they are at 22? Too bad they are out of the league at 22/23 instead of being on their rookie deal after All American college careers. If they can get the 2nd deal they make up for any money they earned while they could have been in college. This is what Battle is staring at .

AGree but also think you need to get the first contract to get the second, and I am not in the group that thinks you can't develop your game and get better while riding pine in the NBA. As is obvious from some of our guys, staying 4 years at college is no guarantee you get better.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Battle is going to make it. He has no help at all. He draws the other teams top defender. He is doubled. He doesnt have a center who draws attention. He plays the whole game. He is our only true offensive threat. He has been forced to play the 1, break the press as we dont have anyone else who can handle the ball. The kid has been Superman and carried this team om his back the last two years.Im pulling for him big time

He may make it at some point but he is going to have a hell of a road to get there, probably with some G league and overseas play. He won't be on an NBA roster next year.

Him showing the ability to handle the ball and some PG duty would only help his draft stock, not hurt it. Im rooting for the kid but it will be very tough. The odds are very very slim.

 

[chugg21]

I think he has hit his ceiling. Last year he got lucky and had a great run on the NCAA tournament. He should have cashed in. Now he could be 3rd or 4th round pick. (He could be picked in the second round last year.)

Lololol