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Nov. 1—Some numbers to put new Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle’s scoring prowess, mindset, dedication and motivation — all closely related — into perspective.
Let’s begin with the uniform numbers the Arkansas transfer has worn in his four-school, six-year career: 4, 0 and 99.
“I’ve done covered every region,” Battle said of his college odyssey.
The New Jersey native couldn’t snag his favorite No. 0 as a freshman at Butler because it was taken by a teammate. He settled for No. 4 because “it just looked nice.”
Battle transferred to Temple for the next three seasons and donned the No. 0 that “I’ve worn my whole life. That’s how many people can guard me.”
GU senior starting point guard Ryan Nembhard has dibs on No. 0 for the second straight year, so Battle chose 99.
“For my friend, a best friend,” Battle said of a college pal that was shot and killed a couple of years ago. “He had nine letters in his name, he was born in September, the ninth month. I asked his mom if I could honor him with 99 and she thought it was a great idea.”
Battle’s internal belief, particularly in his rapid-fire scoring ability, stems from countless hours in the gym. For Battle, the gym was at a school that employed his grandmother as a janitor. She had a major role in raising Khalif, older brother Tyus and their autistic cousin.
Grandma routinely brought the three to the school when she worked nights and weekends. Khalif and Tyus, who went on to play at Syracuse and plays professionally overseas, would hoop for hours with marathon sessions of 1-on-1 games to 100 while their cousin was reading books in the library.
“My mother was a waitress. She wasn’t really home trying to make money,” Khalif said. “My dad got laid off for a major part of my life and he was finding himself with his business. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother.
“She would lock us in the gym. I didn’t really take it as seriously as my brother. He was always a natural, since seventh grade a top-five player. I never thought of myself like…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/battle-tested-proven-scorer-numbers-035900574.html
Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Publish date : 2024-11-02 03:59:00
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