Nebraska Basketball: Jamison Battle would be an X-factor type transfer
Should Nebraska basketball fans dream on landing now former Minnesota Golden Gophers’ star Jamison Battle? We can all dream can’t we?
Battle entered the transfer portal on Thursday, apparently not seeing the kind of progress that Minnesota head coach Ben Johnson claimed his team was making following a last-place finish in the Big Ten this season. Now that he’s officially a free agent, Husker fans tongues are wagging and drooling a bit when they think about Battle potentially playing his final year of eligibility in Lincoln.
Wherever Jamison Battle does end up will officially be his third school. The forward started his college career at George Washington in 2019 and played two seasons there. He entered the portal following the 2020-21 season and eventually chose Minnesota under then-new coach Ben Johnson.
In his first year with the Gophers, he exploded on the Big Ten scene, averaging 17.5 points per game. That was just a year removed from 17.3 points per contest. Battle’s numbers took a bit of a hit this year in Minny and that could have absolutely been an example of him struggling with a squad that was the worst in the conference. The Gophers won just two regular season conference games and were swept by the Nebraska basketball team. Of course, Battle and company got revenge in the opening round of the Big Ten tourney, when they ended the Huskers’ season and put a dagger in the heart of Hoiberg’s Heroes’ hopes of making the NCAA Tournament or even the NIT.
Nebraska Basketball: Jamison Battle would be an X-factor type transfer
Even with his step back when it comes to stats in the 2022-2023 campaign, it’s a safe bet that Jamison Battle will be one of the more sought-after forwards in the portal. That’s certainly not great news for Nebraska basketball fans who might hope the Huskers could convince him to stay in the Big Ten.
It’s not hard to imagine why Hoiberg would want to get him to Lincoln. With Derrick Walker on his way out the door, the Nebraska basketball team will look far and low for his replacement. Hopefully Battle will fall into his lap.