Syracuse wing Tyus Battle, one of the last notable NCAA underclassmen to announce a draft decision, has elected to enter his name in this year’s draft pool, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). However, according to Givony, Battle won’t hire an agent, preserving his NCAA eligibility.
Battle, the No. 28 prospect on Givony’s big board, averaged 19.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.5 SPG in his sophomore year at Syracuse. He also led the nation in minutes per game, playing 39.0 MPG in 37 contests.
Givony has Battle coming off the board 29th overall in his most recent mock draft, observing that the sophomore is a “solid-sized shooting guard with smooth athleticism and a frame that will fill out nicely in time.”
Confirming that Battle is testing the draft waters, Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com writes that it hasn’t been an easy decision for the youngster, who loves attending Syracuse and would like to graduate from college. Testing the waters will allow Battle to postpone his final decision a little longer — he’ll have until May 30 to withdraw from the draft and continue his college career.