Gonzaga, Khalif Battle set for another matchup with Eric Musselman, USC

Oct. 25—PALM DESERT, Calif. — Gonzaga’s Khalif Battle is thrilled to line up against somebody not sporting Zags practice gear, but the Arkansas transfer will still a familiar face on the opposing bench when GU faces USC in an exhibition contest Saturday.

Battle had an eventful season with the Razorbacks last year under coach Eric Musselman. Battle was out, in, out and back in the starting lineup before finishing with a bang, averaging 35.3 points in a four-game stretch and 29.6 over the final seven games.

After Musselman accepted the USC job in April, Battle entered the transfer portal and picked GU for his last season of college basketball. The sixth-ranked Zags and Musselman-led Trojans square off at 5 p.m. at Acrisure Arena. The proceeds will help support Eisenhower Health’s Cardiovascular Institute in Rancho Mirage.

“I’m excited about the game, Battle said. “Coach Musselman is going to come and compete and try to win, for sure. It’ll be a great game for us and good to finally see new people.”

Musselman “recruited me a little bit,” Battle said of possibly following his former coach to Los Angeles. Remaining at Arkansas with new coach John Calipari wasn’t an option. Battle visited Kansas State, Villanova and GU before committing to the Zags.

Battle came off the bench in his first 17 games, logging 30-plus minutes four times, before making four straight starts, the last a 9-minute stint vs. LSU. After two games as a reserve, Battle cracked the starting lineup for good and rarely left the court during the last nine games.

“He (Musselman) is a tough guy to play for if you don’t love basketball,” Battle said. “You have to love it to play for him. He’s very adamant about spending extra time in the gym, making sure you play hard and defend the ball and do the right things. I didn’t really realize how much I was getting better as a player until the middle of season. At first, I thought he just didn’t like me, but he was teaching me something deeper. Once he gave me the keys…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gonzaga-khalif-battle-set-another-020300195.html

Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.

Publish date : 2024-10-26 02:03:00

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