How big of a priority is 2016 guard Tyus Battle for UConn?
Four days after winning the NCAA championship in Arlington, Texas, head coach Kevin Ollie was on campus Friday at Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone, N.J., to meet with Battle and show his level of commitment.
Ollie made the 45-minute drive after speaking at a Coaches’ Clinic at Roselle Catholic, where he was the star attraction on a day where SMU’s Larry Brown, Temple’s Fran Dunphy, Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin, Miami’s Jim Larranaga and N.C. State’s Mark Gottfried also spoke.
“It was really special because at the beginning of week, on Monday, our family watched KO and the hungry Huskies cut down the nets,” Gary Battle, Tyus’ father, told SNY.tv. “It was without a doubt a shining moment for Tyus and me. He showed us that Ty is a priority and that means a lot.”
Ollie spent time on campus and took pictures with players and coaches, just as he did at Roselle Catholic.
“He absolutely loves the kid!” Gill coach Mergin Sina told SNY.tv. “Tyus has talent, work ethic and most important Tyus is a high character kid! You win national championships with kids like that. Tyus is the best player regardless of class in the state and in my opinion will end up being the best player in America very soon. Kid gets better every day. He is a very high priority for UConn.”
Seton Hall associate head coach Shaheen Holloway and Michigan assistant Jeff Meyer also saw Battle work out. His father told SNY.tv Thursday that seven schools are working the hardest — UConn, Michigan, Ohio State, Syracuse, Villanova, Virginia and Indiana.
GROCE VISITS BRAGG
Illinois head coach John Groce and two assistants, Dustin Ford and Jamall Walker, had an in-home visit Friday with 2015 forward Carlton Bragg, his mentor, Michael Graves, told SNY.tv.
Graves said they are also setting up home visits with UConn and UCLA sometime in the next week.
NDAHIRO AT WASHINGTON
Kevin Ndahiro, a 2014 Canadian forward from Bardstown (Ky.) Thomas Nelson, is currently on an official visit to Washington.
“He said that he was interested and that he is going to get to know me better after my visit at Washington,” Ndahiro told SNY.tv. “He wants to probably plan a visit. He said that I was high on their radar and would be a great fit to the long line of Canadians that they have.
He also said he spoke Thursday with Oregon coach Dana Altman.
FREE THROWS
Makur Shayok, the father of 2014 Blair Academy wing Marial Shayok, said he has not heard directly from any schools after his son received his release from Marquette. Michigan, Indiana, Rutgers,Virginia and Marquette have all been linked to Marial, but his father has not heard from anybody, he told SNY.tv.
