Two days after Coach K and Duke put on a “very impressive” presentation for Tyus Battle, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and his staff pulled off a similar feat and now Battle will visit Syracuse Oct. 11.
That day the Orange will play Florida State in ACC football action.
“We’re going to visit on Oct. 11,” Gary Battle, the player’s father told SNY.tv. “They’re playing Florida State.”
Battle now has three visits set for October, with Syracuse, Kentucky and Duke on tap. He may also visit Florida in November after head coach Billy Donovan and assistant Rashon Burno stopped by Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard’s on Friday, too.
Syracuse arrived with Boeheim, Mike Hopkins and Adrian Autry, and emphasized how they’ve liked Battle since he was entering his freshman year of high school.
“[Boeheim] offered him early, going into ninth grade, has been tracking him, wants him to have the ball in his hands, wants guys like him,” Gary Battle said. “He can be a big-time player locally in the Northeast and and in a high-level, ACC Conference.
“He had a great summer. Boeheim said he would play him mostly with the ball and run him off some screens. Just really loves him and loves his potential. He’s a high-level player and he’s gotta have him.”
Donovan and Burno stopped by on their way to Howard Garfinkel’s clinic Saturday in the Albany area. It is their second visit in the last several weeks.
“They’re just stopping in,” Gary Battle said. “They wanted to make sure if Tyus has any questions, reiterated how much they really want him. He’s high on their list. Hopes he’s shown that by being their twice already and they want to get him on campus.”
That may happen in November.
“We’re going to try to do something in November,” Gary said.
A Who’s Who of big-time Division 1 coaches has been through the school in the past two weeks to pitch the 6-foot-6 Battle, who turned 17 Tuesday.
Arizona assistant Book Richardson, Kentucky’s John Calipari, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, UConn’s Kevin Ollie, Miami’s Jim Larranaga, Louisville’s Rick Pitino, Villanova’s Jay Wright, Rutgers’ Eddie Jordan, Michigan’s John Beilein and Ohio State’s Thad Matta have also made their pitches to Battle.
