Former Gopher Off to Smoking Hot NBA Start… and He Returns to Minnesota Tonight
The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team has become mostly irrelevant in the Minnesota sports world, since Ben Johnson took the program over a few years ago. It’s not all Ben’s fault. He was thrown into a brutal situation, for a rookie power five four head coach, because Name, Image and Likeness became a thing in his first year.
A great example was Jamison Battle, who transferred to the University of Minnesota, soon after Ben Johnson was hired, prior to the 2021-22 season. Both Battle and Ben Johnson graduated from De la Salle High School, in Minneapolis, so the fit made sense.
Jamison Battle SHOULD be “…the undrafted kid out of Minnesota”
Jamison Battle started his collegiate career at George Washington University, where he spent two seasons, before transferring home. In two seasons wearing his native maroon and gold, the 6’7″, 225 lb wing averaged 15.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
THIS. IS. MARCH.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 3, 2023
JAMISON BATTLE WITH A BUZZER BEATER FOR @GopherMBB 😱
(via @CBBonFOX)
pic.twitter.com/NPEFUfaxDa
Then, Ohio State offered the MN kid $150,000 to transfer and play for the Buckeyes during the 2023-24 college basketball season. $150K is a small price to pay when you can get better and make a conference opponent worse, at the same time.
At the time, Minnesota couldn’t get anywhere near what the Buckeyes did… so Jamison Battle left, made some cash in Columbus, then hopped over to professional basketball. He went undrafted in last offseason’s NBA Draft, before signing with the Toronto Raptors, as an undrafted rookie free agent.
Undrafted Battle was already a rotation player in Toronto… and then last night happened
Battle was good enough in the summer and preseason, to earn minutes in game one of the regular season. He played over 16 minutes on October 23. He came off Toronto’s bench, but his boxscore production was minimal.
That was not the case in Toronto’s second game last night, however. On Friday, the Toronto Raptors were at home vs the Philadelphia 76ers, where Jamison Battle went 4-of-5 from the field, including 2-of-3 from deep, scoring 12 points to go with 6 rebounds, 3 of them coming on the offensive glass.
Undrafted rookie Jamison Battle has been an early surprise for the Toronto Raptors, scoring 12 points in 14 minutes against the 76ers. The former Ohio State star is an excellent shooter, not lacking the confidence to let it fly at the NBA level. His shot making at the beginning… pic.twitter.com/3jCXFiDSXp
— the center hub (@thecenterhub_bb) October 26, 2024
Jamison Battle is back in Minnesota Saturday night
Battle isn’t just getting garbage minutes for the Raptors. He’s gotten over 15 minutes in both of the Raptors first two games, though much of that time comes thanks to injuries suffered by those above him on the depth chart. But even when those players come back, nobody can take away this tape, and it’s possible he’s earned himself a roster spot in the NBA for years to come, because of how he has played early this season.
And that means, if you go to Target Center tonight to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves game today, you’ll get to see the former Gopher lace them up as a Raptor, vs his one-time favorite NBA team. The Wolves are double-digit favorites in tonight’s matchup vs Toronto.
Related: Derrick Henry Responds to Anthony Edwards
Jamison Battle is being celebrated as an undrafted Cinderella story from Ohio State, instead of Minnesota, because Ben Johnson was WAY too slow to adjust to the NIL world that major college sports spiraled into so quickly.
Ben Johnson deserves plenty of blame for Minnesota Gophers MBB NIL woes
While other coaches were lobbying boosters and local businesses to donate money toward their sport’s Name, Image and Likeness collective, Ben was focusing on relationships and doing things the way they had always been done. Recruit, recruit, recruit.
But in 2024, you recruit NIL donations, not players. And that’s why, not only has Johnson found it impossible for to convince other teams’ players to transfer to Minnesota, but it’s why Ben hasn’t been able to keep any of his own players here, either.
Related: Gophers MBB Coach Ben Johnson Sounds a Little Desperate
And now, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are 41-54 under Ben Johnson. Oh, you want his Big Ten record…? Ben’s Gophers are 15-44 vs conference opponents.his job is on the line in 2024-25. As for Battle, it is crazy he is performing this well, this quickly.
But then again, he’s always had the talent, and the body. Now, he is in the right place, with the right coach, at the right time, and his ceiling at the next level now looks uncapped.
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